Frozen Fractals
by FrozenFractals
Summary: "…Elsa," like a snowflake, the younger girl's plea drifted on a gust of icy wind, carrying just far enough for the blonde to hear the note of despair. "Please, don't let him do this!" - Leading her kingdom out of the harsh winter she created, Elsa finds warmth in her younger sister, Anna. (Incest, and very dark themes in later chapters.
1. Prologue

**A/N: **Story will eventually be full of wincest. If you only want to read the cute sisterly chapters, don't worry, I'll give you a full warning once the wincest lands.

* * *

She heard the crossbow bolt thud into her shoulder before she felt it.

"ELSA!" A desperate scream came from somewhere to her right.

A second bolt slammed into her just below the first, the force of it almost throwing her backwards.

Looking down at the dull, black projectiles, she blinked, slowly, trying to connect some sort of feeling to the sight, but the numbness hung around her like a heavy cloud.

Through the ringing in her ears, she could hear the devil himself laughing. Or was it Anna crying?

The smell of copper rose from the small, ruddy blemishes encircling the bolts. Like rising suns, they became bigger and brighter, until she forced herself to turn away, exhaustedly dragging her eyes over to her sister.

"…Elsa," like a snowflake, the younger girl's plea drifted on a gust of icy wind, carrying just far enough for the blonde to hear the note of despair. "Please, don't let him do this!"

Elsa held her sister's distraught gaze for a beat, before solemnly turning back to the brute holding the crossbow, locking eyes with him and giving an imperceptible nod.

Attempting to lower herself to one knee as graceful as was becoming of Arendelle's former queen, she bowed her head to the figure a few feet in front of her.

"Fine. It is yours," she proclaimed, in a deceptively steady voice.

The man curled his lips up into a sinister grin and bellowed, "then, as the new ruler of this pathetic kingdom, my first act will be to free these piteous people from living in the shadow of the fear you've cultivated here, monster!"

Elsa's head snapped up in time to see him deftly lift the crossbow and draw a bead right between her eyes.

The redhead screamed "No! You gave us your word!"

Barely turning his head, the man smiled lecherously at Anna, "My dear, I _never_ keep my word."

And pulled the trigger.


	2. Just Let Me In

**Weeks Earlier**

The wind whistled past the windows lining the hallway as Anna made her way to the royal chambers. Pulling her cloak a little tighter around her shoulders, she glanced worriedly out of one, seeing nothing but white sleet streaking across the sky. For all the control Arendelle's queen exhibited over the rest of her life, her emotions were always on display in one form or another, whether it was the biting chill of her angry snowstorms, or the pleasant warmth of her calm breeze.

Obviously today Elsa was tense.

Rapping lightly on the heavy oak door, Anna tried to keep her voice reassuring.

"Elsa? Can I…can I come in?"

The heavy sigh wasn't quite the response she was looking for, but the younger girl pushed the door open anyway.

Anna stifled a gasp. Elsa sat with her head in her hands at the huge desk that dwarfed the small room. A layer of sharp frost covered the surface, and a lone, icicle hung off a corner. Tendrils of ice wove back and forth across the wall behind her, and the glow of the solitary candle by the queen's left hand illuminated tiny crystals dancing in the air.

Once the second throne of the King of Arendelle, her sister looked positively tiny in the grand chair behind the desk, and Anna felt a tug at her heart. Elsa was barely old enough to run her own life, let alone an entire kingdom. Sitting as she was, the blonde appeared to be carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders, and she looked so…small.

Anna hesitated before attempting to garner her sister's attention. "I, um…I just wanted to know if you'd be coming down to dinner? Or, if you like, I can fix a plate for you and bring it up here? I mean, not that you'd like that, since I'm sure you'd rather eat at a proper dining table with napkins and stuff, but you need to eat…obviously, gosh, actually I can understand why you'd rather hide up here if coming down to dinner means you have to listen to me go on like _this_." Anna let her voice trail off when she heard a small chuckle from her sister.

The queen lifted her head and looked at her with watery eyes and a smile barely tugging at the corners of her lips.

Anna couldn't help but smile back.

"What kind of a queen would I be if I let my little snowbug wreak havoc in the dining room without me there to keep her under control?" Elsa teased.

The readhead felt a tinge of heat colour her cheeks at the endearment, grinning stupidly. She felt a little spark of pride ignite within her chest at her unfaltering ability to put a smile on her sister's face, until Elsa's words caught up to her. She blinked rapidly.

"Wait, what?" she questioned. A hint of stubbornness entered her voice "I'm always perfectly behaved at the dinner table!"

Her sister responded with a smirk, "Of course you are. Now are you going to stand in the doorway and let all the cold air into my war room, or are you going to take me down to dinner?"

Anna swept over to the blonde's chair, and performed an exaggerated bow, holding out her hand, bent low at the waist. In as deep a voice as she could muster, she added, "My queen, your escort awaits."

The queen tried to stifle a giggle, but it escaped despite her best efforts. Slipping her cool hand into her sister's perpetually warmer one, she pulled Anna back into a standing position and kissed her on the forehead.

"Thank you," she said softly. Anna furrowed her brow slightly. Her sister's voice was sincere, but also held a note of regret. The smaller girl responded with a kiss on the blonde's cheek.

"Anytime," she replied, trying to fill the word with both concern and promise. A tug on her hand and she was following Elsa out the door.

"Wait…war room?"

* * *

"And then, Kristoff tripped over his pickaxe and fell face first into the snow! I've never laughed so hard in my life, Elsa!" Anna finished her story with a flourish, holding her sides and eagerly awaiting her sister's reaction to the anecdote.

Elsa merely chuckled and lowered her eyes back to her plate, pushing a piece of herring around with her slightly frosted fork.

The redhead's smile slowly fell from her face until an awkward silence permeated the space between them. She glanced at the queen's plate, watching her gently prod the herring until she exhaled sharply and put the fork down. Elsa had hardly eaten a thing. Granted, neither had Anna, but that was solely due to the fact that she was far too busy regaling the blonde with stories from the latest trip she had taken with the Offical Ice Master and Deliverer.

"Elsa?" she began, waiting for her sister to acknowledge her. The blonde glanced upwards and met Anna's imploring teal eyes. "What's wrong?"

The queen sighed and slumped a little in her chair. "It's…nothing important."

The younger girl huffed and crossed her arms, glaring a little too harshly at her sister. "Oh no, don't give me that. You may think I'm juvenile and unable to understand these 'serious' matters of state, but I'll have you know-"

"Juvenile?" Elsa interrupted. "I don't- you're not juvenile."

"Oh." Anna unfolded her arms and laid her hands in her lap, looking away from her sister. "I guess- I don't know. Maybe I'm still stuck thinking that's why we didn't spend much time together when we were children." Quickly, she added, "I mean, obviously I know _why_ now, but," she paused, "some habits are hard to break, you know?" she finished, with a self-deprecating half-grin.

Her older sister just looked at her with sad eyes. "I never wanted anything more than to be close to you, snowbug. You know that, right?" Anna tried to nod reassuringly before her sister continued, "I'd take every moment of those years back if I could, but I can't. Which leaves me trying to make up for all of it now." She began to wring her hands together, looking upwards and apparently searching for the right words in the ceiling of the dining room. Growing frustrated, she huffed and clenched her hands into fists, bringing them down onto the table with a thump, leaving a small ring of frost where they landed. "I just...I'm so _bad_ at it, Anna." The blonde's voice cracked a little upon saying her sister's name. "I want to show you that I can be your older sister _and_ your queen. That I can run a kingdom and keep my people happy. Keep _you _happy. I don't know how else to show you." She choked back a sob, dropping her head to look at the worn stone floor.

Anna tried to force her mind to catch up with her sister's words. The outburst had taken her by surprise and she was at a loss how to respond. Questions were flying around in her head, so she grabbed the first one she could make sense of and blurted out, "Show me what?"

The blonde's icy blue eyes swirled with too many emotions to count. Anna watched the muscles in her sister's jaw clench, as if she were fighting with herself to spit the words out, before she whimpered and tore her eyes away.

"I'm sorry. I just-" Elsa waved her hands aimlessly in front of her before burying her face in them.

Anna watched her sister with a pained expression. Scraping her chair backwards, she padded over to the blonde's and knelt beside it, taking an icy hand in both her own, undeterred by the chill.

"Elsa, it's okay," she began, trailing off and letting silence replace the feelings churning in her chest that she couldn't put into words. The queen closed her eyes and took a deep breath, lifting her head and straightening her shoulders before turning to look at Anna, trying to give her a reassuring smile.

"You know what? I think we should skip the herring and go straight to dessert," the blonde whispered, with a rogueish grin. Anna squinted at her sister, thrown by the sudden change in her demeanor. Elsa waved a hand at a butler passing by, whilst Anna's eyes flitted over her face, searching for any hint of her previous mood.

The redhead looked away for a second, only for her eyes to land on the platter of desserts currently being carried out by a kitchenhand. Her concern was quickly replaced with delight as she scrambled to her feet and all but skipped back to her chair. She dropped into the seat and fixed the blonde with a look of feigned seriousness. "You're lucky I'm so easily distracted by pastries," she pointed a finger in Elsa's direction, "but don't think I'm letting you off the hook. Something's bothering you and I'm going to make you tell me sooner or later."

Elsa nipped at the inside of her cheek, choosing not to say anything but instead, unabashedly watch her baby sister try to decide between two equally sugary treats. She knew she'd have to explain what had her so wound up eventually, but she'd damn well try to prolong it as long as she could.


	3. Love Is An Open Door

**A/N:** Thanks for all the reviews so far. FF is actually my first fic ever, so I guess this _is_ my writing style, haha. Hope the vocab doesn't turn any of you off, but it's probably a good thing the kiddies can't get through it. As for wincest already? Wincest is best, son. Hope you enjoy the chapter.

* * *

Anna lay on her back, staring blankly at the ceiling, clicking her tongue against the roof of her mouth in sync with the large clock in the corner of her chambers. Turning her head to the side, she could see a sliver of the moon in the clear night sky. Huffing, she turned her attention back to the ceiling.

She'd been awake since bidding her sister goodnight; a good four hours prior. Snippets of their conversations earlier in the day floating around in her head like the snowflakes Elsa sometimes conjured to amuse her.

Elsa.

She felt her heart clench at the thought of the queen. Something was troubling her sister deeply, and Anna felt useless for not being able to help.

Flopping on to her side, the redhead squeezed her eyes shut and attempted to empty her head of everything. Tried to forget how unsure Elsa looked sitting at her father's- no…_her_ huge desk. How her eyes shimmered with unshed tears as she had looked at her younger sister. How tenderly the blonde had kissed her forehead-

Anna's eyes popped open.

It was no use. The tiny walls she constructed in her mind to keep the thoughts out were all but decimated by the tour de force that was her older sister. Even as an intangible presence the queen was too powerful to stay relegated to the sidelines.

Anna grunted and swung her legs off the side of her bed. If Elsa was going to keep her up all night, she was going to return the favour.

Padding over to the door to her chambers, she wrenched it open a little more forcefully than intended, and jumped when the door almost caught her in the face.

"Good going, Anna. Show up to your sister's chambers with a black eye and a bloody nose. That's sure to lessen her worries," she mumbled to herself, ducking around the newly-opened archway.

Having lost some of her frustration, each step the redhead took towards Elsa's chambers made her feel less and less sure of herself. Despite the queen's assurance that Anna was welcome at any time, the younger girl had experienced too many years of staring at a locked door, willing it to open, to be completely convinced that she could just waltz into every corner of Elsa's chambers unhindered.

Willing her legs to carry her the final few feet to the heavy door of Elsa's room, she inhaled deeply. All too soon she was standing outside the heavy wooden door, fist raised as if to knock, but she hesitated, realising that she had no concrete reason for waking her sister up in the middle of the night other than the petty need for the blonde to be as miserable in insomnia as she was.

Letting her hand drop slightly, she unclenched her fist, and tried to delay knocking by inspecting the door's design. It was covered in carvings of tiny snowflakes, and as she looked closer, tracing one with her fingertip, Anna noticed that each snowflake was subtly different to the others. A rush of affection for her sister flowed through her as she realised that Elsa herself had done this. How, she wasn't sure, but she imagined it had taken the girl a very long time to create something so intricate.

The redhead smiled softly, knowing that even if it were only for a few hours of her isolated existence before becoming queen, her sister had found beauty in her unusual powers.

Anna was startled out of her trance-like admiration for the door when she heard a frustrated grunt and the sound of something shattering. Not bothering to knock, she pushed open the door and nearly stumbled over a pacing Elsa.

The blonde whipped her head to the doorway.

"Anna?" she questioned. "What are you doing up so late?"

The younger girl looked at the far side of the room. Shards of ice littered the floor, and an icicle was still embedded in the wall.

"Working on some target practice, I see," she quipped, dodging her sister's question.

Elsa followed the redhead's gaze to the menacing looking icicle in the wall. With a flick of her wrist, it disappeared, as did the shards that had carpeted the floor below. Only a small hole in the wallpaper remained. She turned back to her sister and looked at her apologetically. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean for you to see that," she started. "It's just…something I do to let off steam."

Anna let a small frown colour her features. "Why are you sorry? Everyone needs some kind of…" she twirled a hand slightly in the air, searching for the right word, "…punching bag." Continuing in a playful tone, with her hands on her hips, she added, "And as your younger sibling, I should probably just be glad it isn't me-," only once the words were out did Anna realise exactly what she had just said.

Her older sister realised too. A pained expression crossed her face.

"Anna-"

"No, oh god, Elsa, I didn't mean it like that. I just- I meant like we're siblings, right? And from what Hans told me about his older brothers-"

There it was again. Why couldn't she just _think_ for a second before speaking. Elsa made her nervous, and a nervous Anna tended to just spit out anything that crossed her mind.

The redhead pressed a hand to her lips in a futile attempt to stop any more words, but the damage had been done.

A thick silence descended upon the space between the two girls.

Anna started panicking when her older sister began to turn away, inhaling shakily, as if to push the unintentionally hurtful words away. She was closing herself off again, and as badly as the redhead had messed up the potential conversation, she wasn't willing to let the blonde shut her out just yet, so once again, she spoke the first thoughts to reach her mouth.

"I saw the door…" she blurted out. "The- your door. With the snowflakes. The different snowflakes." Smacking a hand to her forehead at her fractured dialogue, she took a breath and started again.

"Before I heard you playing pin the icicle on the reindeer in here, I was looking – I mean, really looking – at your door. Those snowflakes, they were all unique. And there were so many of them. It's…well, it's beautiful, Elsa."

The blonde turned back around to face her sister, a blush colouring her cheeks. "How did you know _I_ carved them?"

The question struck Anna as odd. Who else would have carved _snowflakes_ of all things on _Elsa's_ door?

Then it came to her. Her sister was convinced that no one in Arendelle believed she was capable of anything more than destruction or terrifying weather. She saw herself as a tightly wound coil of ferocious blizzards and razor-sharp shards of ice, unable, but not unwilling, to control the tumultuous powers inside.

"Oh Elsa," she breathed, quickly closing the distance between them and placing a soft hand on her cheek. "I know _you_ carved them, because there's no one else in this kingdom who could create something so wonderful." Her chest tightened at look the blonde was giving her, full of so many things she didn't know how to say.

Until she stepped backwards out of the embrace, placing her hands behind her back and simply said, "I made something for you."

A giddy smile appeared on Anna's face. "Oooh a present? I love those! Where is it?" She tried to peer around her sister to see what, if anything, she was holding behind her.

She watched as her sister appeared to move her hands slightly, and after a beat, brought them back in front of her body. She continued waving one hand over a small, hollow sphere of ice in the other, and the redhead leaned closer, trying to get a better look at the object.

Slowly, the sphere became larger, and Anna watched as a tiny ice-Anna appeared in the centre, apparently skating in mid-air. Soon, an ice-Elsa materialised alongside her, and the two figures moved in loops around the inside. With a flourish, life-sized Elsa created a smattering of snowflakes to float around the little ice-sisters. She held the snowglobe out to her younger sister nervously.

The redhead managed to tear her eyes away from her sister's hand to look her in the eyes. "Elsa, this is- how did you _do_ that?"

"I've been practicing. A lot, actually," she admitted. "And I figured, since you can't skate in real life, at least you can in here," she teased, gesturing to the snowglobe.

Anna feigned hurt. "Well, I was going to say how thoughtful it was, but now…" she grinned. "Oh who am I kidding," she reached for the snowglobe, gently taking it from her sister's hand and holding it up at eye-level, entranced by the scene.

"It might melt it if you stare at it too hard, Anna," the queen joked. The redhead quickly extended her arms to move the snowglobe further away from her face, worriedly glancing at her sister. "I'm _kidding_," the blonde reassured. "It'll stay frozen as long as you want it to."

"So…forever?" Anna earnestly questioned. The queen dropped her teasing air and crossed the room to gather her sister in her arms.

"Then yes, forever." As always, her skin was cool to the touch, but somehow, Anna found her embrace leaving her warmer than she'd been all night.

"I'm glad you came," the older girl said, pulling back slightly to look her sister in the eyes. She cupped Anna's face and left a soft kiss on her forehead. "Now. I _know_ you, so I'm nearly positive you haven't slept at all because you've been trying to work out what's bothering me, hmm? And since technically it was me keeping you awake, you decided to come and share your plight."

Anna was reminded of the reason she'd come in the first place, and was nearly embarrassed she'd been so easy to read. She nodded with a sigh.

Elsa gently pushed her in the direction of the bed. "Then _I'm _going to have to make sure you get some rest. Hop in, snowbug."

The redhead cautiously placed the snowglobe on the wooden table by the bed, crawling onto the blue sheets, turning to lay on her side and prop her head up with her hand, facing her older sister as she too climbed into the bed.

Smiling softly at Anna, the blonde pulled the covers up over the both of them, laying down on her back to face the ceiling.

"Goodnight, Anna," she whispered quietly. Anna tried to return the sentiment around a yawn.

"Gunnah, El…sa." The queen chuckled.

Suddenly all too aware of the fact that she hadn't actually thanked Elsa for the gift, she opened her mouth to-

"You're welcome, Anna," Elsa said. The redhead could practically hear her smirk. Determined to have the last word, she scooted over, pressing herself into her sister's side. She lifted the arm in her way, draping it around her shoulders, and softly placed a hand on the blonde's hip. Pushing herself up onto her elbow, she quickly kissed the queen's cheek. "Thank you," she uttered.

Laying her head back down on the small space where Elsa's neck met her shoulder, she hid a grin as she felt the queen stiffen. Moving her hand to cover her older sister's heart, Anna could feel it almost thumping out of her chest. Satisfied she was the victor of their little game, she drifted off.


	4. Icy Force Both Foul And Fair

**A/N**: The wincest is getting stronger in this one.

* * *

Elsa sat alone at the table in the dining room early the next morning, staring blankly into the fire crackling nearby. She'd left Anna asleep in her chambers, knowing the girl was a notoriously late riser, and figured she might not even be awake until after the blonde returned.

As queen, unfortunately Elsa wasn't afforded that luxury. She'd been up with the sun, mentally preparing herself to receive dignitaries from the Southern Isles. She heard heavy footsteps approach, and turned from the fire to face their owner. A rotund man with a perpetually rosy face bowed low when she acknowledged his presence.

"My queen, they've arrived," he proclaimed.

"Thank you, Kai," the blonde answered. "Will you show them to the study, please? I will receive them there. Have Gerda bring some tea. I imagine they're not used to the cold we get this far North."

"As you wish, my queen," Kai solemnly replied. Turning to exit the room, he was stopped short by Elsa's voice.

"Oh and Kai?" She waited for him to turn and face her. "Anna mustn't know about this. Not yet."

The man nodded once, not needing to say anything to show he understood the grave tone in his queen's command. He turned again and left the room.

Elsa exhaled noisily, pushing her chair away from the table and standing. Briefly closing her eyes, she attempted to bury the guilt she felt well up at her decision to hide her meeting from Anna, but it was hopeless. She knew she should tell her sister, but some part of her was convinced she was protecting the younger girl by keeping her out of it.

Sweeping her royal cloak to the side, she strode purposefully out of the room towards the study.

* * *

Emotionless expression on her face, Elsa pushed open the heavy door. Three men were gathered in one corner, talking in low voices. She could clearly see two of the men, both with dark, neatly-trimmed beards, the man on the left also sporting an imperial mustache. The third figure had his back to Elsa, with a mop of auburn hair, and was gesturing wildly to the other two, until one looked up, noticing the queen in the doorway, and quickly hushed his companions.

The blonde remained a regal figure as she approached the men, waving a hand in the direction of the chairs placed in front of her desk for the occasion. "Gentlemen," she began. "Shall we?"

The two dignitaries already facing her bowed low, as the third turned to face the queen and mimic them. As he rose, the mustached man announced in a booming voice, "Queen Elsa! May I present to you-"

But Elsa had stopped listening. Her ears were ringing.

Hans stood less than three feet from her.

Her heart began to race and she felt her stomach drop.

The man reached out to take one of her hands, and it was all she could do not to yell at him to stay back.

She stood, frozen, as he kissed the back of her glove, his dark eyes boring into hers.

"Prince Karl, of the Southern Isles," he finally said.

Karl.

Not Hans.

Elsa released the breath she didn't know she'd been holding.

The imposing figure in front of her began to speak. "First and foremost, Queen Elsa, let me apologise for my younger brother's _atrocious_ behaviour towards you and your sister-"

Elsa pulled her hand from his grip. "Thank you, Prince Karl, but there is no need for that," she retorted, icily, whipping around to walk to her chair behind the large desk. "We have more important matters to discuss." She was hiding the sudden wave of fear behind a veil of hostility and she knew it.

Sighing, she attempted to smile in a way she hoped would be more conducive to their imminent discussion, and faced the dignitaries again. "Please, have a seat," she nodded to the chairs, keeping her eyes trained on Prince Karl as he lowered himself into the middle one.

Assuming an air of maturity that belied her age, she launched into the speech she'd been running over and over in her mind since she awoke.

"Gentlemen. As you may know, Arendelle suffered a rather harsh winter this year." Choosing to ignore the hot flash of guilt that struck her, Elsa pressed on. "As a result, I'm sure I don't have to explain the kingdom's immediate need for a trading partner, especially one that is willing to accept – how shall I put this – a rather _delayed_ shipment on our end."

Prince Karl remained silent. The blonde tried not to let it bother her.

"Arendelle would be most grateful to the Southern Isles if you would accept the following offer," she took a deep breath. This was going to be a hard sell. "Allow us to forego a shipment this year, and we will send triple the goods owed to you in the next." She finished, clenching her jaw to stop herself saying anything further, anxiously awaiting the prince's reply.

She was thrown for a loop then, when the prince simply replied, "We accept your proposal, Queen of Arendelle."

Elsa blinked.

"It seems the only respectable course of action, considering what transpired between you and my brother," he continued.

Surprised by the effortlessness of exchange, the blonde wasn't sure what to say next.

"Is there anything else you'd request of the Southern Isles?" the prince finished, with a surprisingly sincere smile.

The queen tried to reciprocate with a smile of her own. "No…no, that- that was all I wished to ask of your kingdom."

"Excellent!" the prince jumped out of his chair. "Then what say we celebrate this partnership with a meal together, yes? How about dinner tonight? I've heard wonderful things about Arendelle's cuisine!"

Elsa found she could relax for the first time all morning. He may have looked strikingly similar to his brother, but Karl and Hans were as different as chalk and cheese. She was almost looking forward to hosting them in the castle's grand dining room. And knowing her sister's outgoing nature, she was sure Anna was going to be just-

The blonde grimaced. How could she have forgotten? Anna was completely unaware of the visiting Prince. Elsa had chosen to hide it from her for fear of scaring her younger sister into believing Hans may return to Arendelle. Recognising that she may have to do some damage control between now and later in the evening, she quickly agreed to the Prince's request and excused herself to find her sister.

* * *

Locating Anna wasn't hard. She'd returned to her chambers to find her bed empty of the girl, but Elsa wasn't all that surprised. Since the end of winter, the redhead was almost never inside any more – save for sleeping and eating – choosing to either spend her days out in the mountains with Kristoff, Sven and Olaf, or in the gardens surrounding the castle.

Today she was sitting cross-legged by a small pond in one of the more secluded gardens, surrounded by a paddle of ducklings, cradling one to her chest. Sun was filtering through the leaves of the elm tree she sat under, giving the whole scene a dreamlike feel. The blonde hadn't announced her presence, instead choosing to watch her sister for a moment.

The redhead was cooing softly at the duckling she held in her arms, and Elsa's heart melted. Anna was so…the blonde couldn't find the right words to describe her. Her sister had such a big heart. She appeared naïve, but only for the simple fact that she chose to see the best in everyone.

And she was beautiful. _God_, was she beautiful. Elsa felt her chest tighten and her cheeks grow warm at the unannounced thought that had careened to the forefront of her mind. She could see why Kristoff had fallen for her. Unfortunately for the poor, well-meaning man, Anna had adamantly expressed to him that whilst she was so grateful for his selflessness in their attempt to end the eternal winter the blonde had created, after what had happened with Hans, she was just not ready to be with him in the way that he yearned for.

Kristoff himself had divulged most of this to Elsa when she had asked him why he hadn't confessed his feelings for her sister. Unsurprised, but still a little embarrassed at his obviousness, the ice harvester revealed Anna's reasons for choosing not to pursue a romance, then said something that had rendered the queen speechless.

"She loves _you_, Elsa. More than she could ever love me."

Elsa knew that Kristoff had of course meant that the redhead loved her like a sister, but she had been unable to completely calm the raging flurry of emotion those simple words had stirred up in her heart. She loved Anna as a sister too, of course. But loving the redhead as deeply as she did...she was almost _afraid_ of fully comprehending what that-

"Elsa?" Her train of thought was interrupted by the object of her thoughts, Anna's sweet voice carrying lightly on the breeze. The blonde couldn't help but let a tender smile cross her face. Softly approaching her sister, so as not to scare the ducklings, she stopped a few feet away.

The redhead gently moved a hand from under the duckling she was holding, and patted the ground next to her. "Come sit, Elsa. They don't bite," she turned her attention back to the ducklings, "do you, little guys? You just want a cuddle, dontcha?"

Elsa melted all over again.

"How was your meeting this morning?" The younger girl asked, as the queen lowered herself gracefully to the grass.

Taken aback, she replied, "You _knew_ about that?" Anna giggled.

"Of course, silly! Why else would you be up so early?" The redhead said, matter-of-factly.

The blonde chastised herself for ever thinking her younger sister wasn't observant enough.

"So?" Anna asked, expectantly, "How was it?"

Elsa sat up a little straighter. "Actually, that's why I came to find you. I need to tell you something."

The redhead furrowed her brow at the serious tone with which her sister had spoken. Cocking her head slightly, she wordlessly implored her older sister to continue.

"I met with some dignitaries this morning…one of them was a Prince…from the Southern Isles," Anna's eyes darkened in what Elsa guessed was barely restrained anger. Directed at Hans or at her, she wasn't sure, but she continued anyway. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, but I didn't want you to worry-"

"Hans almost _killed_ you, Elsa," her sister barked. "He tried to take our kingdom from under us! Of course I would have worried!"

The duckling Anna was holding escaped from her arms, and scattered along with the others at the sudden noise.

"Anna-"

"No, don't 'Anna' me! Is this what has been bothering you the last few days?" Elsa didn't want to lie. It had been _part_ of why she had been so tense recently, but the other reasons…she wasn't even willing to admit them to herself, let alone her sister. So she simply nodded, but the redhead continued to berate her.

"What could _possibly_ make you want to have anything to do with that- that- _scum_ they call a royal family?" Her sister was shaking now.

"Anna-"

"I can't _believe_ you didn't tell me! I thought we'd stopped keeping secrets from each other!

"Anna-"

"_You_ were the one that said we were 'never closing the gates again', didn't you? Or did you only mean the castle gates, and not the ones between us?"

"_Anna!_" The queen rarely raised her voice, so the sharp exclamation of her sister's name stopped the redhead short. "Anna, _please_, believe me, I didn't want to! But Arendelle-" she hesitated, "Arendelle suffered heavily at my hands. We have barely any crops. Most of our fishing boats are beyond repair. My people are almost starving and I _caused_ all of it! Even if I weren't Queen of Arendelle, I'd have to make it up to them!"

The fire left Anna's eyes and she looked sadly at her sister.

The blonde continued. "I didn't want to tell you because I didn't want you to worry, but even more than that, I didn't want to _scare _you. What Hans did to you-"

"To _us_," the redhead corrected.

The queen shook her head and her voice wavered. "To _you_, is something I should have been there to protect you from, instead of hiding up on the North Mountain. He took advantage of the best part of you. The part that sees the _good_ in people." The perennial guilt in her flared up again, and her tone became menacing. "And as long as I live, Anna, I will _never_ let anyone hurt you like that again. I swear it."

"Elsa," the younger girl reached out to take one of the blonde's hands. She squeezed it reassuringly. "I don't blame you for what happened, you know that, right?"

The queen looked away.

"You were trying to protect me by staying away, I get that. So please don't think it was your fault. Hans is the only one to blame, here," the redhead said in earnest.

Elsa bit her cheek. This girl had been through a frozen hell, sacrificing herself for her sister and almost dying in the process, and here she was, convinced the queen had done nothing to harm her. Elsa didn't deserve her.

"I don't deserve you," the thought slipped out without her realising.

Anna blinked. Then laughed. The blonde looked up in surprise. "Yeah you do, silly. You built me a real live snowman, remember?"

The utter ridiculousness of the comment lifted Elsa's mood instantly. How was it that Anna could drag her from every dark place her mind went to with a single sentence? She chuckled along with her sister. "Fine, fine. If you say so."

Remembering her reason for wanting to talk to Anna in the first place, she added, "So I guess, since I'm such a great sister and all, I should probably tell you that I've organised a dinner party for tonight."

Anna squealed in delight. "A dinner party! Oh gosh, as in a dress-up, fancy-food, more-than-just-us-at-the-table dinner party?" The blonde nodded, and was almost knocked backwards by the redhead scrambling to her feet. "Oh! I have to work out what I'm going to wear! Should I wear my hair up or like this?" She fiddled with a braid. "And which colour dress? I'm thinking the green one, since it's spring and all. Maybe a pink ribbon? What are you going to wear, Elsa?"

But the blonde didn't reply, or even hear the redhead. Instead, she just sat with a giddy smile on her face, for once in her life completely oblivious to her surroundings, focussing solely on her sister.


	5. Can't Hold It Back Anymore

**A/N: **Wincest ahoy! Finally, the good stuff. Thanks for sticking with it.

* * *

The clicking of shoes against stone echoed through the great entrance hall of the castle as Elsa made her way from the bottom of the staircase to the dining room. After being dragged from the garden by her younger sister, she'd been forced to sit attentively in her chambers whilst Anna pulled dress after dress from her closet, examining each one with the same critical eye one would expect from a jeweller cataloguing diamonds. Eventually the girl had settled on what she thought was the 'perfect' dress for the queen to wear to their dinner with Prince Karl and his companions that evening, all but ordering her older sister to wear it. Bustling out of the room with all the subtlety of a hurricane – and leaving Elsa's room in an accompanying state – she had retired to her chambers to pick a dress for herself.

To appease the redhead – and possibly because she was slightly afraid of the scene the girl might cause if she showed up to dinner in the 'wrong' dress – Elsa had donned the outfit, noting that it was quite reminiscent of the icy garb she had worn briefly in her stint atop the North Mountain. Glittering not with snowflakes, but with crystals instead, the dress was undoubtedly one of the finer things in her closet, and probably a little _too_ elegant for a private dinner with guests. Nevertheless, Elsa was sure it would match her sister's appearance, for she had certainly put the same effort in her own choice of clothes as she had for the queen.

The doors to the dining room were already open, and Elsa ran her eyes along the table as she passed through the archway, spotting the prince and the two other dignitaries seated at one end. They stood as she entered, only sitting again once she had gracefully deposited herself into her own chair.

"Prince Karl. Gentlemen," she acknowledged her guests. "I trust I haven't kept you waiting long?" The question was more of a formality than anything. The men had already been served wine, she noticed, and a half-empty platter of Flatbrød and cheese lay near them. Clearly they had been given enough to keep them occupied until her arrival.

"Not at all, Queen Elsa," the prince replied with what he was sure was a handsome grin. The blonde didn't even bat an eye. "Will Princess Anna be joining us this evening?"

A soft smile graced the queen's features at the thought of her sister's excitement earlier. "She will. I imagine she's on her way down at this very moment."

"Splendid!" the prince replied. "I am very much looking forward to meeting her. I've heard so many things from-" he stopped himself before he uttered his brother's name, but Elsa had already shot him a dark look. He cleared his throat nervously. "*Ahem*. Forgive me, Queen Elsa. I didn't mean any harm by-"

The blonde forced herself to relax and waved off his concerns. "It's fine. Let us just enjoy this dinner as friends, shall we?" The prince nodded his approval.

The silence that followed would have been tense had the clicking of a pair of shoes not filled it. Elsa looked towards the doorway, anticipating her sister's entrance.

She wasn't prepared for the sight that awaited her.

The blonde felt her breath catch. Her heart leapt into her throat and sudden sensation in her stomach made her feel as if she were falling.

If she'd thought Anna beautiful in the garden this afternoon, then now she was…

Elsa's mind went blank.

She was vaguely aware of the three men standing from the table, the prince crossing the room to kiss the redhead's hand by way of introduction.

"Princess Anna, it's a _pleasure_ to meet you. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Prince Karl, of the Southern Isles." Anna gave a tiny curtsey in response. The lack of usual exuberant babble that often spilled from her sister when she was meeting someone new was the only indication that Anna was having the same reaction to the prince that Elsa had – the physical similarities between Hans and his brother were too striking to ignore.

But her sister hid her concerns well enough. Following the prince, she took a seat opposite the blonde and smiled timidly. As the prince waved over a servant to request a glass of wine for the two women, Anna leant forward across the table.

"You look beautiful," she whispered, flicking her eyes from Elsa's face down to her dress and back again.

The blonde hadn't taken her eyes off her sister since she'd entered the room. She was sure she was staring like a fool by this point, but she couldn't get her brain to re-engage and reply with something intelligent.

When the queen didn't respond, Anna's smile faltered and she leant back, looking uncertain. This finally brought Elsa back to semi-coherency.

"You- I-" stuttering, she tried to get the words out. "_Wow_," she breathed out, eventually settling on the only sentiment she could muster that even came close to accurately conveying her thoughts.

It did the trick though. Anna giggled softly, her cheeks growing pink. "Thanks," she replied.

A glass of wine passed between them, breaking their gaze. A second soon followed. With a slightly overstated air to his voice, the prince lifted his glass, beginning a toast. "To the new partnership between Arendelle and the Southern Isles! Cheers!"

Elsa quickly raised her glass to connect with the prince's, moving to toast with the other dignitaries as Anna copied her movement, clinking her own glass with that of Prince Karl. With a satisfied smile, the prince downed his glass, the rest of them following suit.

* * *

"Oop!" Anna squealed, as she stumbled over yet another stone in the floor of the entrance hall, almost dragging her sister down with her. The dinner had been surprisingly enjoyable. Prince Karl was undoubtedly a charismatic man, with a fantastic gift for telling entertaining stories. Careful to leave his youngest brother out of them, he amused his audience with tales of his childhood in the Southern Isles, eliciting much laughter, especially from the young princess, who had consumed more wine in one night that she probably had in all her life prior.

Unfortunately, Elsa was now the one bearing the brunt of it, as the prince and his companions had retired to the guest chambers a short while earlier, and she was left to return Anna to her chambers. Not that she wanted them to see her sister this…_tipsy_, but it seemed without the presence of esteemed guests, the redhead was letting go completely.

"That wine was grrrrrreat, Els," she slurred, pressing herself into the blonde's side as she was half-carried up the stairs. "Whadidya say it was called again? Montepoopanano?"

The older girl let out a quiet laugh. "Montepulciano, Anna." The younger girl tilted her head in her sister's direction, fixing her with an unfocused look.

"'s what I said," she insisted, almost tripping up one of the stairs. Elsa simply rolled her eyes playfully.

Mercifully, the two reached the top without further incident, and the queen could almost see the door to her sister's chambers around the corner in the hallway. She took a step forward, only to feel a tug on the arm her younger sister was grasping.

"Lessgo in here, Els," she said, pulling the blonde towards the door at the top of the stairs. "I wanna know wassinside."

The queen sighed. "That's the library, Anna. I know it's too quiet for you, and requires more patience than you're used to exhibiting, but surely even _you've_ been in there once or twice."

The redhead turned to face her sister, a small pout on her face that Elsa wished she didn't find so damn adorable.

But she did.

And so she gave in. "Fine. We'll explore the library."

Anna clapped her hands together, a look of pure glee lighting up her features. "You're the best, Els!" Turning back around, she rushed forward, almost running into the door in the process. Pushing it open only slightly, she slipped through the gap and scurried off to some dark corner between bookcases.

The blonde called after her sister. "Wait, Anna! Just- you might hurt yourself! You can't see in there!" She received a giggle in reply.

"Come find me then!" the younger girl declared. Elsa pinched the bridge of her nose. She'd consumed her fair share of wine herself, but just enough to make her sleepy, not hyperactive like it had apparently made her sister. Pushing the door open further, she hoped the light from the hallway would illuminate enough of the library that she could find her sister and – if need be – drag her to her chambers so they could all finally go to sleep.

She saw a flash of red hair out of the corner of her eye. Striding in the direction it came from, she heard Anna squeal in impish fear. She had to admit, her sister's spirited nature was rather infectious, and so she couldn't help but playfully growl, "I'm gonna get you, little snowbug! Rawr!"

A giggle came from a bookshelf towards the back of the library. Elsa snuck over as quietly as she could, now more intent on winning the impromptu game of cat-and-mouse than she was on going to sleep. Stealthily taking cover at the end of a row, she peeked around the shelf, sure the redhead would be there.

To her surprise, Anna was nowhere to be found. Puzzled, the blonde started to creep down to the next row, only to feel something warm collide with her back and pin her arms to her sides.

"Gotcha!" The redhead had found her first. But Elsa wasn't done. She spun in her sister's arms, grinning wickedly as Anna lost her grip. Quick as a flash, the blonde deftly placed her hands on her sister's sides and began to tickle her. The response was instantaneous.

"No, no!" the younger girl squealed once again. "El- Elsa! Please! Stop! I give! You win!" She squirmed, trying to escape the blonde's reach.

Suddenly, she tilted forwards, losing her already tenuous grip on her balance. Colliding with her sister, they crashed to the floor, landing awkwardly in a tangle of limbs.

"Ohmigod, Elsa! Are you okay?" the redhead panicked from her position atop the queen, hands grasping at her hips in concern. Elsa only groaned in response.

"Ugh, my head," she replied. Then she grinned. "Lucky I have such a thick skull, huh?" Anna began to laugh, relieved her sister was intact enough to be cracking jokes. She bent down to plant a kiss on the blonde's forehead.

"There. All better?" she questioned. Elsa quirked an eyebrow and looked up at the redhead.

"Almost," she teased.

To her surprise, Anna gave her another quick kiss, this time on her nose. As she pulled back, Elsa noticed the younger girl was blushing. She shifted slightly, and the blonde inhaled sharply at the sensation.

Anna's weight on her was warm and not the least bit uncomfortable. The blonde reached up to tuck a lock of red hair that had escaped back behind her ear. Gently tracing her fingertips down soft skin, she placed a hand behind Anna's neck, playing with the little curls she found there.

The redhead was breathing fast, hints of the wine she'd consumed earlier ghosting over Elsa's cheeks.

Anna shifted again, whimpering quietly.

It was Elsa's undoing.

She pulled the younger girl's head down and crashed their lips together. Throwing an arm around her waist, she tried to draw her closer still, needing to feel the redhead against her. Anna's nails were digging into her hips as she kissed the blonde with unbridled passion, letting out tiny noises that made Elsa's eyes roll back into her head.

Ripping her mouth away from the younger girl's, she moved her lips to the redhead's neck, nipping at her pulse. A hand made its way up Elsa's side to her breast, fingertips running deftly over where skin met fabric. The blonde growled low in her throat at the sensation, almost throwing Anna to the side so she could roll on top of her. The younger girl let out a high-pitched yelp, but Elsa ignored it and continued her assault on the redhead's neck, letting her hands run down the sides of the girl beneath her, needing to find exposed skin somewhere. Anywhere.

Anna was panting now, her pulse racing under Elsa's tongue, hands gripping at the blonde's shoulderblades and nails digging into the skin.

The older girl began to travel further down, suddenly biting at the juncture of Anna's neck and shoulder. The redhead cried out in a mix of pain and pleasure, rolling her hips upwards against the queen's.

Elsa almost passed out from the bolt of electricity that shot through her at the contact. She groaned long and loud, seeing shards of ice explode in her mind's eye.

No, wait.

She saw shards of ice explode with her _actual_ eyes.

Anna had too.

They both paused in their ministrations, turning to survey the ice slowly melting on the floor.

"What…" Anna began, breathlessly, "was that?"

The blonde continued to stare dumbfounded at the puddle on the floor. Somehow she'd unconsciously created a physical manifestation of the sensations she was feeling whilst kissing her sis-

Oh god. She'd been kissing Anna.

How the _hell_ had that happened?

She scrambled off of the redhead, trying to avoid her quizzical gaze. "I- That-…_Fuck_!"

Elsa rarely swore, but the expletive fell from her lips involuntarily. Turning, she ran from the room, leaving Anna in the dark to try and make sense of everything that had just occurred.


	6. You Don't Have To Be Afraid

**A/N: **Thank you for all the reviews. I'll try keep the updates coming steadily so you don't tear me apart like the hungry Elsanna shippers you are.

* * *

The roll of thunder reverberated off the mountains surrounding the fjord, the sound almost drowned out by the cacophony of hail slamming into any available surface. The kingdom of Arendelle was devoid of almost all movement, most of its inhabitants opting to remain inside than risk the wrath of the bullets of ice currently firing from the sky. Within the great castle, the window panes shook violently with the force of the battering wind, the clinking of hailstones serving as warning to all who stood too close to the glass.

Anna lay upside-down on her favourite couch in the picture room, legs resting on the back of it and her head dangling off the cushions. Staring at the portrait across the room, she huffed.

"She's just so frustrating, Joan! She's purposefully avoiding me, and for what reason? It's not like I wasn't enjoying…" she trailed off, blush rising on her cheeks. "I mean- I get that other people might not think it..._right_, but…" she closed her eyes, "I _love_ her. She makes me feel like I matter to her…to this kingdom. How can that kind of love be anything _but_ right?"

She opened her eyes again, searching the brushstrokes that made up Joan's face for some kind of answer. The portrait's only response was silence.

"Ugh, you're no help, Joan," she groaned. "I need someone who can actually give me some advice here." Crinkling her nose in thought, she wondered if there was anyone she trusted enough who would actually understand how she felt about her sister without condemning her to be burnt at the stake like her dear, mute friend Joan. Some kind of…love expert who'd seen enough things out of the ordinary-

Love expert! Of course! Why didn't she think of it sooner?

She flipped herself right-side up and jumped off the couch, only to fall unceremoniously back into it. "Woo...dizzy…" she squeezed an eye shut, trying to steady her vision. Getting up a second time – much more slowly than the first – she strode out of the picture room to make her way to the greatest love expert she knew.

"You'd better have some good advice for me, Kristoff!"

* * *

Elsa sat behind the desk in her study, trying to appear attentive to the auburn-haired man in front of her. He'd requested a meeting with her earlier in the afternoon, and desperate for any distraction, she'd agreed before he'd even begun to tell her the purpose behind it.

Now, regretting her hasty decision, she forced herself to listen to the words pouring from his mouth.

"…so on their current path, and if the ship leaves today, we may be able to intercept the fleet at around sixty-five degrees north. After that, it's a matter of just changing the route of one or two of them to sail for your kingdom. Of course, I had the ships commissioned from the best shipwrights in Nyholm, so the speed at which they can sail…" Elsa stopped listening again. All men were the same, she concluded, thinking of Kristoff and his sled. They were so _utterly_ obsessed with inanimate objects.

At least she had the good sense to be obsessed with something living and breathing, like her sister.

The blonde's stomach dropped. She'd been avoiding her sister all day, hiding out in her study pretending she had important business to attend to. Remembering the promise she had made to herself about not underestimating the redhead's observational skills, she was convinced that Anna knew exactly what the queen was doing. A small pang of guilt hit her for shutting the girl out again, but she tried to smother it with the logic that her younger sister was far too tipsy to fully comprehend the consequences of their actions last night, and was simply responding to her older sister's actions in the way that she thought wouldn't hurt the blonde's feelings. By avoiding her, Elsa was simply giving them both time to come to terms with what was obviously a stupid lapse in judgement on her part.

But, _god_, the way the redhead had kissed her back so hungrily, like she was trying to experience _years_ of missing contact in just one night. It drove Elsa mad just _thinking_ about-

"Queen Elsa?"

_Damn._

She'd completely missed the last…however many minutes of the prince's narrative about his stupid ships. He was looking at her with an expectant smile.

The blonde tried to think of something that wouldn't give away how little she'd be concentrating. "I see. Well, that certainly sounds…" she searched for a non-committal adjective, "…promising."

The prince seemed satisfied with her answer and stood up from his chair. "Wonderful. Once this wretched hailstorm ends, I'll ready the ship and send my men out to intercept the fleet. In two or three days, your people will have more food than they'll know what to do with!" He laughed at his own joke as he exited the study.

Elsa looked out one of the windows near the desk. Despite completely losing control over her feelings for her sister – and consequently, the weather in Arendelle – at least she was somewhat managing to run her kingdom properly.

* * *

The queen had finally reigned in her emotions, leaving the skies above Arendelle a little cloudy, but free of projectiles. Anna wondered whether her sister was actually feeling better, or if she had just managed to bury her feelings for the present moment. The younger girl sat next to Kristoff in his sled. Olaf was to her left, bouncing about as usual, unable to sit still for more than three seconds at a time.

"Oooh, and what kind of flower is _that_, princess Anna?" he waved the twig that served as his arm in the general direction of a patch of purple. The redhead smiled at his innocent exuberance. They'd only been sitting in the sled for ten minutes, and in that time, the snowman had managed to point at no less than thirty-two patches of flowers.

"That's _Blåveis_, _again_, Olaf," she replied.

"Blorwice," Olaf tried to copy her pronunciation, failing miserably. Anna giggled. The snowman continued to repeat the name, emphasising it differently every time. "Blor-_wice_. _Blor-_wice. Blorris."

"He's a character alright," Kristoff's voice came from her right. Anna turned to face him.

"He's special-" the redhead started. The man interrupted with a snort. She smacked him playfully on the arm in response. "Not like _that_, you jerk. I meant he's more than just a snowman. Elsa…she made him, just for me, so being around him makes me happy."

The ice harvester smiled sincerely at the girl. "I getcha," he leaned closer to Anna and in a conspiratorial whisper, said, "Don't tell him, but I'm glad he's still around." Winking, he straightened up again, focussing on the path Sven was pulling them along. A comfortable silence settled between the two.

Anna could see the North Mountain begin to appear over the crest in front of them. As the reindeer pulled them higher, she was afforded a view of the sharp, icy blue spires that topped her sister's palace – a place she had temporarily called home.

The structure was such an enigma to her. It seemed to be balanced precariously on the side of the mountain, but somehow it commanded more respect than the mountain itself. It was all sharp edges and angles, and the redhead wondered how someone as soft and _gentle_ as her sister had created something so imposing.

She felt emotion well up inside her, and before she could stop it, she let loose with a surprisingly frank confession.

"Elsa kissed me last night, Kristoff. Like, _kiss_-kissed me. A lot. And she was on top of me. And I liked it. Even more than a lot." She stared at the side of his face, worried she might have said a little too much for the man to handle.

To his credit, the man didn't freak out or throw her out of the sled. In fact, the only indication he'd heard her at all was the widening of his eyes and the tightening of his hands around Sven's reins.

After a few seconds, he coughed and began to speak. "Uh, wow. Okay. That's- well, that's _interesting_."

Helpless to stop herself, the redhead took Kristoff's relatively calm response as an invitation to spill everything. "I kissed her back, and I think I may have even left some scratches on her, but I'd say that's only fair since she bit me first, and then she made ice fireworks, which I thought was a good thing because it meant she was _really_ enjoying it but instead she just stopped and ran away and I haven't seen her all day and I found myself asking for advice from a _painting_ until I realised that I should be asking _you_ because really, who knows more about love than a man raised by _love experts_, right?" She finished, out of breath and flushing.

She was pretty sure the man would have passed out had he not already been sitting down. He was still staring straight ahead, and didn't appear to be breathing.

Even Olaf was silent, having lost interest in his flower-spotting. Looking at Anna thoughtfully, he asked, "Does true love make everyone do that?"

The redhead looked at him, confused. "Do what, Olaf?"

"Talk to paintings?" the snowman replied.

A chuckle came from behind her. Kristoff had finally broken out of his stupor, and apparently was…_okay_ with all that she had just revealed. Okay enough to find the humour in the snowman's assessment of the more…_unusual_ aspects of true love, anyway.

"No Olaf," the man shook his head, a grin on his face. "Only Anna would be smitten enough to talk to a painting."

"Hey!" the redhead retorted. "I'll have you know, that painting isn't just _anyone_. It's Joan of Arc! She single-handedly led a whole army to victories all over her homeland, until some _barbarians_ captured her and burnt her at the stake." Anna crossed her arms, haughtily adding, "She was an amazing, intelligent, brave girl who loved her country-"

The ice harvester turned to her and fixed her with a knowing look. "She sounds very much like someone else we know, huh?" Anna blushed, as Kristoff turned back to the reins. "How do you know all that, anyway? Don't tell me you paid attention in your childhood history lessons because I won't believe you."

Mock-glaring at the man, the readhead huffed. Looking down again, she suddenly became shy, fiddling with the buttons on her coat. "Elsa…she, uh, she likes to read. And she tells me stories sometimes. She tells them really well, Kristoff. Does the voices and everything. And she knows so many languages, she can read anything I pull off the shelves in the library."

The man looked over, smiling gently at Anna's nervous fidgeting. "Elsa is one-of-a-kind, Anna, as are you. I think you're perfect for each other. Whether as sisters, or as…" he paused, clearing his throat, "…whatever you choose to mean to each other."

The redhead looked up at Kristoff with watery eyes. "You think so?" she asked, in a small voice.

"I _know_ so," the man replied. Anna beamed and leant over to lay a happy kiss on his cheek.

"Hooray!" Olaf interjected, trying to reach his arms around the both of them for a hug. "Now you and Elsa can talk to paintings together!"

* * *

Anna crept through the entrance hall, trying to sneakily make her way to the staircase on the far side of the room. She'd been bouncing around in her seat as Kristoff took them back down the mountain – sled full of ice – impatient to talk to her sister after hours of not seeing her. It struck her as almost funny that less than a year ago, she'd have been content with seeing her reclusive sibling once a month, but now…now Anna wanted- no, _needed_ to see her every day.

In fact, she'd been so desperate to find her sister, that she hadn't bothered to brush the snow off of her boots, which led to her current mission of getting past all the servants without being chastised for dragging snow all over the hall.

She'd barely made it up two steps before a shrill voice stopped her.

"Princess Anna! What on earth do you think you're doing?" She cringed, turning slowly to face Gerda, the matronly servant who had been like a second mother to her. Plastering an innocent smile on her face she tried to talk her way out of the situation.

"Gerda…hello! How are you this fine evening? Um, I- Elsa requested that I- she needs to talk to me, you see. Very important, uh, queen stuff. So I need to find her. Right now, actually. Do you know where she is?" The redhead finished with what she hoped was a convincing grin.

Gerda only put her hands on her hips, giving Anna a stern look.

The younger girl fidgeted, shifting her weight from one foot to the other.

To her relief, Gerda's face softened. "Oh my dear, who am I to keep you from your sister for want of a bit of snow. You've been apart for so long…she's in the library."

Anna gleefully clapped her hands together, turning to run up the stairs two at a time, calling behind her. "Thank you, Gerda! Sorry about the floor! I'll clean it up, I promise!"

The older woman just shook her head with a smile, heading to the nearby closet for a broom.

Reaching the top of the stairs, Anna pulled off her boots and left them by the banister. She didn't want her sister to hear her footfalls on the wooden floor of the library, lest she hear the younger girl approaching and use some excuse about 'royal business' to escape.

The redhead wiggled her toes inside her mismatched socks. Where the queen was always careful to appear perfectly presentable, her younger sister had far too much else to do with her time than worry about _socks_ of all things.

Pushing the library door open as quietly as possible, Anna peered through the small opening she had created, feeling the warmth of what was probably a fire slowly escaping out into the hallway. Slipping through the gap, she gently pushed the door closed behind her, and padded over to the orange glow in the corner of the room.

Her sister was sitting on a couch in front of the fire, engrossed in a very old-looking book. So old, in fact, that Anna probably would have been afraid to touch it. Her clumsy hands would probably rip the thing in half before she'd even made it past the first chapter. Elsa though…her sister was gentle and graceful and had been holding books all her life. She could read something a thousand times and not leave a single crease in the spine.

Coming up behind her sister, she realised Elsa was so fixated on whatever was happening in the story that she didn't have the slightest clue the redhead was even in the room, let alone almost breathing the same air as her. Grinning mischievously, Anna bent down quickly and nipped at the shell of her sister's ear.

Elsa's response was immediate.

"Ahh!" she shrieked, dropping the book and whipping her head around, a bewildered look on her face, trying to find the source of the startling interruption of her quiet reading. Eyes falling on Anna, she scrambled off the couch, trying to put some distance between them.

"Anna. How- who told you I was here?" She blurted out. "I'd specifically asked the servants to leave me alone for the rest of the evening."

The redhead looked hurt. "I rank with the servants now, huh?"

"No that's- I didn't mean- I just needed some time to think. On my own," the queen backtracked.

"Oh," the younger girl replied. In a sad voice, she asked, "Should I go, then?"

As chaotic as Elsa's feelings were right now when it came to her sister, the look on the redhead's face was too much to bear. "No…you don't have to go, you can stay." Taking a deep breath, she added, "I _want_ you to stay."

Her sister's face lit up. Bounding over to the couch, she grabbed the discarded book from the floor and took a seat on the cushions. The blonde sat on the same couch, as far as she could from her sister, leaving a large empty space between them.

Anna sighed when she recognised that she was going to have to do most of the work here. Sliding over to the blonde, she held the book out. "Elsa, I know you're confused…and probably a little scared right now. I am too. But someone gave me advice today that made me realise something important." She put a hand on the older girl's cheek. "We're family, first and foremost. Nothing will change that. Please don't think you've ruined anything by-" her breath caught in her throat, but she forced the words out, "by kissing me."

Elsa tried to turn her head away. The redhead placed the book in her sister's lap and softly put her newly freed hand on the queen's other cheek, stopping her. "Don't run from me, okay? Let's just...ignore what happened…for tonight, at least." The older girl avoided her sister's gaze. "Els,_ please_," she begged. And in the most vulnerable voice Elsa had ever heard from the younger girl, came the heartbreaking words "I need to know you won't leave me again."

The sheer desperation in Anna's voice coiled around a flash of guilt inside of her, creating a bolt of emotion that struck her right in the deep recesses of her heart. She couldn't say no to the girl, even if she had wanted to.

Looking into the sweet, freckled face of her sister, she smiled. "Do you want me to read you a story?"

The redhead let out a sound that was half-laugh, half-sob. Unable to speak, she just nodded.

Picking up the book in her lap, Elsa drew her sister into her side. Anna pressed her face into her sister's neck, and the blonde felt hot tears on her skin. Feeling an almighty tug at her heart, she brought a hand to the younger girl's back, slowly rubbing the space between her shoulderblades as Anna hiccupped against her neck. Hoping she could soothe the younger girl with her voice, she opened the book to the page she'd been reading, and began.

"_All the variety, all the charm, all the beauty of life is made up of light and shadow…_"


	7. Strike For Love And Strike For Fear

The last couple of days since that night in the library had been some of the best of Elsa's young life.

With an unspoken agreement in place, the two sisters had put their feelings aside, and had simply been enjoying each other's company for the first time in forever. Arendelle had never seen bluer skies.

Elsa was currently standing on the edge of a small pond in one of the royal family's many hidden gardens, accessible only from the castle itself. Waving her hands in intricate patterns, she was carefully creating a layer of crystal clear ice on the surface. Beside her sat Anna, pulling on a pair of ice skates…with some difficulty, judging by the grunts she heard.

She took her eyes off the pond to glance back at her sister, grinning at the sight of the redhead on her back, one leg up in the air, tugging at the laces of her second skate. She stifled a giggle.

"You better not be laughing at me, Elsa," the younger girl remarked. "We can't all be as graceful on the ice as you are."

The queen didn't try to hide a second giggle. "You're not even _on_ the ice yet, Anna."

The redhead's only response was to stick her tongue out at the queen.

"Besides, if I'm correct – _which_ I always am – this was your idea," Elsa continued, turning back to the pond. Affecting an altogether _unflattering _high-pitched voice, she did her best imitation of her sister. "Elsaaaa! I'm tired of watching a tiny ice figure skate better than me! Teach me how to ska-' Ah!"

Something hit her on the back of the head. She whipped around to see her sister looking at her with an unconvincingly innocent look.

"What?" the redhead said, shrugging.

The queen narrowed her eyes. "…Did you just throw a snowball at me?"

Anna held her gaze. "No?"

Elsa continued to glare.

"…Maybe?"

She squealed as the blonde purposefully strode towards her, conjuring an especially cold and wet-looking snowball. "No wait, Els- that's not fair. You have ice powers and I don't have- You made fun of me so now we're even, right? Please don't throw that at me!"

The older girl cracked an impish grin. "Oh, I'm not going to throw it at you."

Anna eyed her warily. "You're…you're not?" The queen continued her approach, kneeling in front of her sister. Leaning in, she saw the redhead's eyes flicking from her hand to her face and back again.

Quick as a whip, Elsa stuffed the snowball down the back of Anna's coat.

"Ahh_hhh_!" the younger girl cried. "That's _cold!_"

"_Now_ we're even," the blonde said, with a self-satisfied smirk. "So are you going to get your butt on that ice today or what?"

"Yes. But I only because I _want_ to and _not_ because I'm afraid of you stuffing another snowball down my dress," Anna retorted, pushing herself to her feet. Heading rather unsteadily towards the ice, she hesitated at the edge.

"Need a hand?" her sister inquired.

Anna slumped. "Yeah," she said, dejectedly. Elsa took the girl's small, warm hands into her cooler ones, gently guiding her out onto the ice. Stumbling like a newborn reindeer, the younger girl tried to stay upright.

Soon, however, the redhead was getting the hang of it. She tentatively let go of one of Elsa's hands, then the other, until she was skating in a wobbly line on her own.

"Hey! I think I'm doing it!" She exclaimed. Her sister watched her with an affectionate look on her face. Anna took a shaky turn, and started to skate back towards the blonde.

At a very high speed.

Elsa's eyes widened and the younger girl started to panic. "Uh, Elsa? How do I slow down?"

"Bend your knees, Anna, and turn your skates inward," the queen quickly instructed.

The redhead continued to fly at her with the same momentum. "It's not _working_!" she called.

Elsa prepared for impact.

"Oof!" the queen grunted. Her sister hit her with a force far greater than she expected from someone so small. Mercifully, she'd managed to stay upright, grasping Anna around the waist and pulling her in until the redhead was pressed against her, her face less than an inch from the older girl's, noses almost touching.

"Hi," Anna said, shyly. The blonde blinked stupidly, her brain empty except for how much she _really_ liked the feeling of having the redhead's warm body so close.

"*Ahem*" A throat cleared behind them, and the girls jumped apart at the sound. Unfortunately for Anna, this meant she landed squarely on her rear. Elsa remained standing, regal as always.

Kai stood at the edge of the pond. "The prince has just informed me that his ships have arrived, my queen," he stated. "He's asked if you'd like to oversee the unloading?"

The blonde nodded quickly. "Yes, yes I would. Tell him I'll be there shortly. Thank you, Kai." The man bowed and turned away from the pond, heading back to the castle.

Anna's annoyed voice came from below. "Are you going to help me up?"

* * *

Prince Karl's two ships absolutely _dwarfed_ Arendelle's port. The three-mast galleons sat side by side alongside a dock, the prince standing between them, barking orders. She could see why he had been so verbose about them. They looked like they could hold at _least_ a hundred crew members, not to mention the literal tonnes of cargo currently being unloaded, with almost everything the average townsperson could possibly need. Fish, cheeses and textiles where the most common, but items from lands Elsa had never even heard of also made an appearance. She watched as crates of spices, sugar, and porcelain were unloaded, her eyes widening when one of the crew walked onto the dock with a huge Persian rug over his shoulder. Prince Karl caught her staring at it. "Just a little gift from the Southern Isles to Arendelle," he winked.

People were beginning to flock to the town square to see what all the commotion was about. A general murmur rose up in the crowd once they realised the goods they so desperately needed after a long, harsh winter were within their reach. Elsa grew a little worried at the excitement, wondering whether her people were about to begin a mad dash for the cargo, but to her surprise – and their credit – the crowd stayed back, letting through their ranks merchants from all over town. Soon the dock had become a bustle of activity, and – satisfied that nothing would go awry – Elsa began the search for her sister.

She found her crouched in front of a group of small children, a blanket tucked under her arm – she'd obviously pilfered it from one of the huge piles on the dock – and holding out a handful of chocolates, the children's faces full of glee at the sight of the treats. Letting them empty her hand, the redhead stood up and ruffled a little boy's hair, and watched as they ran off to a corner of the square.

Elsa kept watching as her sister approached a frail old woman leaning heavily on a cane. The woman tried to curtsey, but Anna placed a hand on her shoulder, smiling as she shook her head as if to tell her it wasn't necessary. Removing the blanket from under her arm, she held it out to the woman, taken by surprise as she was pulled into an embrace.

The blonde found herself smiling tenderly at the interaction. These people adored her sister. They respected her and loved her like she was a part of their family. Elsa was the queen, yes, and her people treated her as such, but underneath, they knew the monarch possessed great power, and so her presence was always received with a small undercurrent of fear.

Anna, on the other hand…well, she was their princess. Someone who had never done wrong by them and was the embodiment of everything that was good in the world.

The queen's face fell. She was willing to risk the love her people had for the beautiful redhead, and for what? A few stolen kisses? She was almost disgusted with herself. There was absolutely no way she could justify ruining Anna's favour with the kingdom of Arendelle for her own selfish desires. Besides, despite the ache she felt in her heart, she had never been happier to simply spend time with her sister. The feelings she had were just going to have to be buried, no matter how hard it would be.

* * *

The crowd of people remained until well into the night. An impromptu celebration had started up in the town square at sunset, a ragtag group of musicians providing music, and the barkeep of the local tavern leaving kegs of ale and wine on any available surface.

Elsa found herself dancing with Kristoff to the upbeat tune the band was currently playing. Despite adamantly telling the Duke of Weselton that she didn't dance, in truth, she adored it. It was only the threat of her potentially hazardous powers lying in wait under the surface of her skin that kept her from dancing at her own coronation ball, but once she saw the Duke's…_unique_ manner of dancing, she was almost glad she'd had to decline.

"You're a surprisingly good dancer," Kristoff remarked. The queen quirked an eyebrow at him. "Uh, I mean, for someone that wasn't able to touch anyone until a few weeks ago, you seem to have had plenty of practice." He paused. "Oh god, that didn't sound right," he spluttered. Gathering his thoughts with a deep breath, he tried again. "What I _mean _is, for someone that was _afraid_ to touch people for fear of hurting them, you seem to have mastered the intricacies of the waltz."

"I'll choose to take that as a compliment, Kristoff. Thank you." The blonde decided to let the ice harvester off the hook for now. He was a good man, and Anna's dearest friend outside of her sister.

Plus, he had stopped her sister from getting herself killed on her way up the North Mountain.

He appeared to spot something over her shoulder, nodding in the direction of the band. "Looks like Anna's found herself another prince," he said, a note of bitterness in his voice. Despite the redhead insisting that Prince Karl was not at all like his brother, Kristoff still harboured some hostility towards any member of the Southern Isles royal family.

Elsa turned to follow his gaze, spotting the prince with one of his giant paws on her sister's waist, the other holding her tiny hand in his huge one. She watched as her sister threw her head back to laugh at something he had whispered into her ear, and the blonde involuntarily let out a low growl.

"You too, huh?" her dance partner asked, dryly. "She says he's a good guy but I don't trust those brothers as far as I can throw 'em."

Elsa turned back to face him. "You can throw pretty far, from what I've heard," she challenged.

Kristoff puffed his chest out in mock pride. "This is very true. Well, then I just plain don't trust them."

The queen chuckled. "I don't really trust them either, but sometimes I suppose you just have to make a deal with the devil." She looked around at the celebrating townsfolk, adding, "At least we got something good out of them."

The ice harvester smiled down at her. "I'm glad you're happy, Elsa," he confessed. "You deserve it."

The queen blushed. "Not really, but thank you, Kristoff." The ice harvester wasn't sure if she was alluding to the fact that she wasn't really happy, or that she didn't really deserve happiness. He guessed both.

The man looked ahead again, and suddenly his eyes widened. "Uh, well that's new."

Once again, Elsa followed his gaze, only to see Prince Karl kissing her sister.

Seeing red, she pulled her hand out of Kristoff's grasp, striding over to the pair. As she reached them, Prince Karl pulled back from the redhead, grinning at the dazed look on the younger girl's face. He had but a moment to appreciate it, however, before he was all but shoved to the side by the queen.

"I believe I'll take this dance, Prince Karl," the blonde bit out, not caring whether the prince understood or not. Placing one hand on Anna's waist and the other grasping the redhead's, she began to dance with the girl.

Anna narrowed her eyes at her sister. "What are you _doing_?!" she hissed.

"Saving you from making _another_ stupid mistake," the queen retorted. She knew she'd hit a nerve as soon as the words were out, a fire appearing in her sister's teal eyes as she ripped her hand from Elsa's, turning and storming off into an alley. The queen followed her angrily.

"Anna, stop!" she commanded.

The redhead whipped around and jabbed an accusing finger into her sister's chest. "No, _you _stop!"

Elsa was taken aback, but tried not to show it. "Stop _what_?" She asked, heatedly.

Her sister scoffed. "You _know_ what! This stupid game you're playing with me!" She threw her hands up. "I don't know what you want from me! One minute you're kissing me, then you won't even _look_ at me until I practically swear that I won't act on my feelings for you." She let out a derisive chuckle. "And _now_ you claim you're stopping me from making another 'mistake', when it's obvious that really you're just _jealous_ someone else is touching me like you _refuse_ to!"

The blonde clenched her fists, feeling the familiar sensation of angry frost beginning to cover them. "You hardly _know_ the man, Anna! How can you let him touch you like that?"

She knew her anger was getting out of control, but she couldn't stop herself. "Did you let _Hans_ do whatever he wanted the first night you met him as well?" she sneered.

The sharp crack of Anna's hand smacking her cheek reverberated throughout the alley. The redhead was shaking.

"How dare you." Her voice was eerily steady. "How _dare_ you speak to me that way."

Elsa head was spinning. She felt like she was outside her own body, watching the scene but unable to stop it. All the anger and frustration she felt at herself for not being able to control her feelings for her sister, the self-hatred for putting her kingdom in a position where they had to accept something damn near _charity_ from a man whose brother had tried to kill them…it was all rising up to the surface, manifesting itself into razor sharp words that could never be taken back.

"I'll speak to you however the _fuck_ I want! I'm _Queen_ of this godforsaken kingdom!" the blonde snarled.

Anna rolled her eyes. "And a _fantastic_ job you're doing of it, too!" She replied, sarcastically.

The blonde's self-consciousness reared its ugly head, and something inside of her snapped. "_I'm doing the best I can!_" she yelled, slicing a hand through the air.

Sharp blue shards of ice flew from her fingertips, several embedding themselves in the barrels that lined the alley. One flew dangerously close to Anna's head, grazing her cheek and drawing a trickle of blood. The younger girl flinched, and put her fingers to her cheek. Seeing that they came away red, she stared in disbelief at her older sister.

Anger left the blonde as quickly as it had appeared. Guilt and fear replaced the void, crashing into her like a tidal wave.

And for a second time, she fled.


	8. Let It Go

A/N: Here it is - you beautiful perverts - the epic wincest has arrived. Thanks for sticking with me until now. I hope you find this chapter a fitting reward.

* * *

Anna shifted, trying to get more comfortable on the bale of straw she was using as a makeshift seat. Feeling a stalk poking into her leg, she sighed and gave up, reasoning that the slight discomfort in her leg was distracting her from the gaping hole in her chest anyway.

Sleet was bucketing down, drenching Arendelle in the queen's unique style of wrath. She could hear it pounding on the thick roof of Kristoff's shed, as if it were trying to break in and force Anna to feel the full might of her sister's fear and anger.

The ice harvester was sitting on an anvil, Sven's saddle draped over one of his thighs as he oiled it. The reindeer himself was lazily munching on a carrot in the corner of the shed, watching Olaf peering out of a hole between the worn boards that made up the shed door.

"Wow, it's really weathery out there," the snowman declared. "Queen Elsa must be really upset."

The redhead spoke, guilt clouding her voice. "She is, Olaf. She's hurt and scared and it's my fault. Again."

Anna's anger at her sister had been fleeting, and as soon as the blonde was out of her sight, she'd been overcome with anguish, the open wound on her cheek paling in comparison to the ones Elsa had left in her heart. She was forced to face the idea that _her_ biting remarks had probably been just as agonising to her sister, and collapsed in the alley until Kristoff had found her, taking her back to his small abode for the night. The girl hadn't responded to any of his attempts to find out what had happened, but as he'd listened to her sleep fitfully in his bed as he lay on the floor, his heart broke at every unconscious utterance of the queen's name he heard coming from above.

Now, with nothing to do but wait out the battering of Arendelle by the elements, he was left desperately racking his brain for a way to cheer up his friend that didn't involve anything that would remind her of her older sister.

Finishing with the saddle, he hung it carefully over its rack, moving to a haphazardly built forge he'd created for the sole purpose of creating horseshoes for Sven. He picked up the poker leaning against the stones and stoked the orange embers until they glowed brighter. Suddenly struck with inspiration, he turned to Anna, grinning.

"Hey, Anna," the redhead stopped fiddling with a stalk of straw and looked up at him. "Have you ever used a forge before?"

The girl looked back at him with the first smile he'd seen on her face all day. "Nope. But I could really go for bashing something right now."

* * *

Anna would have made a fantastic blacksmith, if horseshoes were supposed to be as flat as board.

The force with which she was striking hot metal with the hammer was enough to impress even Kristoff, and he'd seen the girl smash a wolf in the head with a lute. The redhead was berating herself between hits.

_CLANG_

"I can't believe-"

_CLANG_

"-that I was stupid enough-"

_CLANG_

"-to let him kiss me."

_CLANG_

The redhead turned to Kristoff breathlessly, a bead of sweat running down her temple. "I don't even _like_ him! It was just- I'd had so much wine and Elsa was hardly letting me touch her and after _years_ of not being able to, then the night in the library…having her take that away from me again…"

The ice harvester nodded his understanding. "I know, Anna. And I'm sure somewhere inside, Elsa does too. But…" he paused, wary of the fact that his friend was holding a pair of red-hot tongs in one hand, and a huge hammer in the other, "…maybe you don't understand what your sister is struggling with?"

When the redhead didn't lunge at him with either tool, he continued. "She's got this huge responsibility not just to Arendelle, but to you as well. As the head of your family, your reputation, and the reputation of this kingdom, rests mostly on her shoulders. She's already feared by almost _every_ other country near here…can you _imagine_ the sheer number of pitchforks that would be headed in this direction if word got out that she'd taken her _sister_ as a lover?"

Anna frowned, opening her mouth in defiance. He expected some tirade about not caring what other people thought, but to his surprise, her shoulders slumped and she yielded. "You're right."

The ice harvester blinked. "I am?" He shook the doubt away. "I mean, I _am_. And if I know Elsa – which, you know, I don't, really, but I know her enough to see how much she cares for you – your sister needs you right now. She needs someone to let her know she's doing the right thing-"

Anna interrupted him angrily. "But she's _not_, Kristoff. She's shutting me out instead of talking to me about it, which means I have absolutely _no_ say in this!" She gestured to herself. "Shouldn't _I_ get to choose whether I want to risk my reputation or not?"

"You should agree on it _together_," the man said, emphatically. "Neither one of you can make the decision on your own." Kristoff placed his burly hands gently on the redhead's shoulders. "Anna, as much as I want to see you and Elsa happy, neither of you are going to get there if Elsa doesn't believe herself a worthy monarch. And the only way _that's_ going to happen is if you show her that she already _is_, because _yours_ is the only opinion she cares about."

Anna moved into the man's embrace, accepting the comfort he was happy to give. "Will you take me to her?" She muffled, into his chest.

"To the castle? Yeah, of course," the ice harvester replied.

He felt the redhead shaking her head against him. "No, she won't be there. She's going to be where she always goes when she's trying to shut people out."

Kristoff knew what the girl was going to say before the words came.

"Will you take me to the North Mountain?"

* * *

Unfortunately for Kristoff, Anna's request was referring to an immediate departure, not a comfortable one. Pushing Sven to go faster through the frigid sleet, he was almost kicking himself for giving the first great advice of his life in the middle of this storm.

The ice palace had looked even more menacing through the curtain of frozen rain, growing larger and larger until finally, when the man had lost almost all feeling in his face and hands, they came to the base of the ice staircase.

The redhead kissed his cheek – not that he could feel it – before hopping out of the sled. "Thank you, Kristoff!" She yelled over the roar of the wind. "Be careful on the way down!" She turned to run up the staircase. He waited until she'd pushed open the huge icy doors of the palace before flicking Sven's reins and beginning the equally uncomfortable ride down to Arendelle, hoping that even if the two sisters didn't bury the hatchet entirely, the younger girl would at least be able to stop this damn weather.

Anna stood in the silent entrance hall of her sister's majestic creation. The howling wind and battering sleet seemed a world away from inside the structure. Somehow the blonde had managed to seal the palace off from the outside world completely…not unlike what she was doing to herself.

"Elsa?" she called, nervously. "Are you here?"

There was no response.

Suddenly struck with the fear that maybe her sister was in Arendelle's castle after all, and Anna was going to have to sit in an icy palace with no food or water until someone noticed her missing, she panicked. She'd been an ice statue once before, and it was an incredibly unpleasant feeling. There was no way she wanted to go through that again.

"Anna?" The redhead breathed a sigh of relief at the response. "What are you doing here?" her older sister questioned, appearing at the top of the staircase, and Anna got a sudden feeling of déjà vu.

"I, um, wanted to see…how you were doing." She fiddled with her hands. "I kind of- well, I said some really horrible things, Elsa, and I need to tell you I'm sorry."

The queen looked at her sister like she was in pain. "Anna…" came her strangled voice.

The redhead was almost afraid to ask. "You're- are you still mad at me? For kissing him?"

The queen shook her head violently, blurting out, "_No_, god… I was never angry at _you_. Him, maybe, but mostly just at myself."

Anna exhaled, steeling herself for a final question – one she needed the answer to more than anything else. "Those things you said…about Hans. Do you really think that? About me?"

The blonde wanted to cry, the vile suggestion she'd made last night ringing in her ears with all the fury of the howling wind she knew was just outside the palace walls. "It was a disgusting thing to say to you, Anna, and I'm so, _so_ sorry-" her breath caught, but she needed her sister to know – even if it killed the queen to think about it – whatever she and Hans had done was nothing to be ashamed of. "If you and _Hans_-" she almost spat his name, but the words died on her lips when the redhead interrupted her with a shake of her head.

"Nothing happened, Elsa. Hans and I…we danced. And, well, we kissed, too, but beyond that…" she trailed off.

The blonde felt the vice around her heart loosen slightly.

Anna began to advance towards the bottom step, but she was stopped by her sister holding out a hand. "No, wait. Don't- just…stay right there. Don't come closer," she said in a fretful tone, eyes flicking to the healing – but still rather angry – gash on Anna's cheek.

The redhead just rolled her eyes. Now that her fear the older girl was still infuriated with her had dissipated, it was quickly being replaced with tenacity. Ignoring her sister's plea, she continued on her path. "No, Elsa. I'm coming closer whether you like it or not." Staring defiantly at her sister during her ascent, she added, "This is getting ridiculous. Did you actually run ten miles away because of a tiny scratch?" She touched the mark in question. "It doesn't even hurt!"

Now only a few feet from the queen, she watched as the blonde backed away quickly, throwing up her hands and conjuring some sort of…shimmering pane of ice that Anna had never seen her create before. Undeterred she pressed on, until she stood in front of the strange barrier, nose almost pressed against it. Hesitating only for a second, she reached out to push it put of the way, stumbling forwards when her hand slipped right through it.

Elsa looked as surprised as she did.

The redhead grinned smugly. "Guess you're losing your touch, huh?" She stepped through the barrier completely. "No stopping me now."

But Elsa's face had gone from one of surprise to one of curiosity. "Anna," she said, softly. "Your hair." The redhead's face scrunched up in confusion. Turning to her right, she tried to get a glimpse of her reflection in the glassy walls of the palace. Squinting, she realised her distinctive white streak had reappeared.

"What on earth…" she breathed. Suddenly she found herself growing warmer. Shifting uncomfortably, she turned back to her sister. "Uh, did you put some kind of…ice heater on in here?"

The blonde's face reflected the ridiculousness of her question.

"Yeah, you're right, that was a dumb thing to say." She wiped her brow. "Why is it so _hot_ in here?"

A look of understanding crossed Elsa's face. "Oh dear…" she breathed.

The redhead narrowed her eyes at her sister. "What 'oh dear'? What's going on? What's happening to me?"

A fine layer of frost spread outwards from the queen's right palm as she lifted her hand to the younger girl's face. Gently pressing the hand to the redhead's cheek, she asked, "Do you feel that?"

Anna grinned, goofily. "Yeah. It feels nice."

"But not cold?" The queen pressed.

The redhead's brow furrowed. "Well…no. Not really. It just- It feels normal. Warm, even." Suddenly coming to the realisation, she blurted, "Did you just turn me into some kind of…ice person that doesn't feel the cold?"

"_I_ didn't turn you into anything!" The queen objected. "_You_ were the one who walked through that- that-" she threw her hand out in the direction of the ice barrier, "-_thing_, when it was clearly meant as a sign to _stop walking_."

"Well I'm _sorry_, I must have missed that lesson where we learnt that 'weird ice sheet' meant 'stop' in Elsa-nese," the younger girl taunted. "Ugh, it doesn't matter," she finally said, dismissively. "At least now we can actually _talk_ without me freezing my butt off in here."

Pulling off her gloves, coat, and hat, dumping them unceremoniously on the floor, she noticed her sister looking at her choice of attire, perplexed, and with some other emotion the younger girl couldn't place. Looking down at herself, the redhead tried to explain. "Oh, uh, I was at Kristoff's…before this," she waved her hands around, indicating their surroundings, "and I didn't have any clothes except the dress I was wearing last night, so he lent me these."

It was true, Anna was so desperate to get to the mountain that she'd neglected to consider the temperatures she'd be facing, and Kristoff had all but carried her back inside his home when she'd run out into the icy rain. Throwing a pair of breeches and a fur tunic that he'd grown out of years ago at her head, he'd instructed her only to come and get him when she was properly dressed for a "tea party in an ice palace", as he'd so eloquently put it. Completing the outfit with a cloak, two mismatched gloves, and a pair of boots that he confessed had once belonged to a girl he'd 'known' – Anna chose not to push it – Kristoff was finally satisfied she wouldn't freeze to death.

Now, standing in front of her sister, who was elegantly dressed in one of her self-created, ice crystal gowns, she felt stupid.

But that was a fairly short-lived feeling, as her sister confessed, quietly, "I like it." Blushing, she added "It makes you look…rugged."

The redhead felt an absurd sense of satisfaction at the comment, and winked at the queen. "You like a little roughness in your life then, do ya, Queen Elsa?" She advanced on the older girl with a hint of a swagger in her step.

To her dismay, the blonde stepped backwards again, spinning on her heel and disappearing through the archway that led to her pseudo-ballroom.

"Oh lord," she muttered to herself. She called out to her sister's retreating form. "Elsa, _come on_, it was just a _joke_."

"What I feel for you isn't a laughing matter, Anna," the queen insisted. "Don't you understand that?"

"Yes," the younger girl began, defensively. "I do understand that. Which is why I wish you'd actually _discuss_ it with me instead of trying to make all these decisions about it on your own."

The blonde turned to face her sister, looking tired and frustrated. "What _is_ there to discuss, Anna? This," she gestured between the two of them, "cannot happen! The people of Arendelle would chase us out of the kingdom if they ever found out."

"_If_ they found out!" Anna retorted. "We live in a giant _castle_, Elsa. Who the _hell_ would find out?"

"It doesn't matter!" The blonde was growing desperate now. "What I feel for you is- you know it's wrong!"

Anna tried to hide the hurt she felt. "Right, so what _I_ feel for _you_ is wrong too, then?

"Yes!" The queen snapped.

The redhead threw her hands in the air. "_God_, Elsa. Do you even hear yourself? You're so blinded by your fear of hurting me that you're refusing to even _think_ about what _I_ might want."

"Anna," her older sister pleaded. "You don't understand-"

"I do, Elsa. I really do." Anna strode toward her sister as she continued. "_You_ don't understand that I'm an adult, and that I _don't_ need someone to make decisions _for_ me." The younger girl's face was now so close to her sister's she could practically feel the heat from the blonde's flushed face. "In fact, starting right now, _you_ no longer get to have the final say in this. _I'm_ going to decide _what_ I want, and I'm going to take it _right now_."

And she did.

Crashing her lips against the blonde's, Anna almost threw her against one of the icy walls of the room. She could feel Elsa grasping at her shoulders, trying to push her away, her cries of protest muffled by the younger girl's mouth. Refusing to acknowledge her wishes, Anna roughly grabbed her sister's wrists, pinning them on the cold surface either side of the blonde's head. Elsa whimpered trying to regain control of her hands, but the redhead only growled, pushing her body harder into the older girl's.

The queen finally managed to detatch her lips from her sister's, pulling her head back, eyes flicking rapidly over Anna's face. The younger girl grabbed her chin and forced Elsa to meet her gaze. The blonde's eyes were dark with desire, but still she tried to yank her head free from her sister's grip.

Anna wasn't having any of it. "Tell me you don't want this," the redhead said, breathlessly, "and I'll stop."

Elsa's slammed her eyes shut, her chest heaving. Anna rolled her hips forward, and the queen tossed her head back, letting out a throaty moan. She threw her free arm around the younger girl's shoulders digging her nails into the thick fabric of her tunic. "Anna…" she whined, opening her eyes to look at her sister with unbridled _hunger_.

It was enough to make the redhead lose control. Capturing her sister's mouth once again, she let go of Elsa's wrist and tangled a hand in her blonde hair, digging the fingers of her other hand into the queen's hip.

Biting the older girl's soft lower lip, she swept her tongue over the small indents she'd left, before forcing her way into the blonde's mouth. Their teeth collided with the ferocity of the kiss, but Anna ignored it and continued to probe the cool wetness, alternating between nipping at Elsa's lips and moving her tongue in ways that made her sister whimper.

Anna wanted more. She tugged on the blonde hair in her grasp, exposing the pale stretch of soft skin at the queen's neck. Dragging her mouth down to a rapidly fluttering pulse point, she pressed her tongue flat against it, feeling it race with all the pent up desire churning in the older girl. She sucked, hard, before soothing it with a kiss, continuing to trail a path upwards along the blonde's jaw to her ear. Running her nails lightly across her sister's stomach, she felt the muscles jumping underneath as she nibbled gently on her earlobe.

She could feel Elsa's hot breath on her cheek as the blonde panted, making tiny sounds of pleasure that drove Anna wild. Scraping her teeth against the sensitive skin behind the queen's ear, she felt her shudder, involuntarily thrusting her hips against the redhead's. The younger girl smirked at the discovery of the sensitive spot, nipping it once more before moving back to press her lips against her sister's.

She was taken by surprise when Elsa, with a strength fuelled primarily by pure _want_, threw herself against Anna hard enough that she stumbled and fell backwards, pulling the blonde down with her. Landing with a thud on the icy floor, the redhead didn't even have a second to recover before the queen's lips were on hers again, her hands tugging at the belt around her waist, growling when she couldn't find the clasp.

Grinning into the kiss, Anna moved her hands down to undo the belt herself, flinging it to the side as Elsa's hands came back to tug the tunic up and over the younger girl's head, revealing the most delectable looking expanse of freckled skin the queen had ever laid eyes on. Dragging her fingernails from Anna's hips up to her newly exposed breasts, the blonde let out a pleased hum.

"See, now this isn't really fair," the redhead quipped, tugging at her sister's dress . "You're still completely covered and I'm…" she waved a hand over her naked torso.

Elsa smirked and twirled a hand in the air, causing her dress to disintegrate in its entirety. She sat completely bare, straddling the younger girl's hips.

"_Wow_," Anna breathed. "Now _that_, is a useful skill."

She was silenced by the queen placing a finger against her lips, then, reaching up to brush a stray lock of hair from her sister's face, Elsa leant down to cover the redhead's body with her own.

Anna's response was explosive.

The feeling of the blonde's breasts pressed against hers was maddening. The younger girl involuntarily slammed her eyes shut and arched upwards at the contact, groaning loudly before the noise was swallowed by her older sister kissing her again. Unable to do much but writhe beneath the body on top of her, Anna tried to focus on reciprocating the sheer amount of pleasure she was receiving.

Placing her hands on Elsa's waist, the redhead hungrily kissed the other girl, eventually sliding her hands down and over the queen's rear. Grasping it firmly, she pushed her sister's hips down until they collided with her own, and stars exploded behind her eyelids.

"Mmmmf, _god_" the blonde groaned, as she tore her lips away from Anna's, bucking her hips. She moved to kiss the younger girl's neck, then her collarbone, until she was bare inches from the redhead's breasts.

"_Elsa_," the girl whined, desperate for the queen's rough tongue to continue its descent. The blonde grinned wickedly, bringing an arm down from beside Anna's head, trailing a fingertip between her breasts, leaving a thin line of frost in its wake.

Arching upwards again, the younger girl tried to wordlessly beg for Elsa to stop teasing her, but the blonde just moved her frost-covered fingertip to circle her sister's left nipple. Her body may have no longer been bothered by the cold, but the redhead was not entirely immune to the unbelievably delectable feeling of the cool finger against her burning skin.

Just as Anna felt like she couldn't get any more worked up, her sister took her other nipple into her mouth, roughly running a wet tongue over the peak.

"_Fuck_!" Anna had never sworn in her life, but her senses were being driven wild and she was losing control rapidly. The girl on top of her was swirling her tongue in _just_ the right way. "_Oh_! God _don't stop_!"

She grabbed a fistful of blonde hair, holding Elsa's head against her breast, her other hand still firmly on the older girl's behind, using it to keep the queen pressed against her. She felt her sister's right hand move from her chest down over her stomach, until it was running along the waistband of the breeches she'd neglected to remove. Unable to summon the dexterity to pull them down, and not willing to tell Elsa to stop so she could, she simply whined again and thrust her hips up into the queen's hand, begging her to take care of the problem.

The blonde's solution was to simply thrust her hand down the front of the article of clothing and press her fingers into the slick wetness she found.

Anna had felt like she was losing control before, but that was nothing compared to the absolute _ecstasy_ that was Elsa touching her _right there_.

"Ah_hh_! Oh _holy_- _Hnng_!" She was unable to form proper words, but her sister didn't need any encouragement. Sliding a digit in tiny circles around a hard nub, Elsa moved her lips to Anna's shoulder, biting into it as she slid slightly to her left, allowing herself better access to Anna's centre, whilst also finding a delicious friction against the redhead's thigh.

Feeling the blonde rocking against her – trying to find the same intoxicating sensation she was currently giving her younger sister – Anna focussed just enough to move her hand from Elsa's behind, over her hip to the fine blonde curls between the queen's legs. Stroking her softly, she heard the older girl moan into her shoulder. With the last thread of sanity she possessed, the redhead plunged a digit inside her sister, and was rewarded with a noise from the blonde that she could only describe as one of pure bliss.

Elsa returned the favour a second later, and Anna's mind went blank.

She felt a fire start low in her belly, building quickly as her sister's fingers deftly moved around her centre, a thumb pressed against her clit, rubbing it with small, circular movements. With each stroke, Elsa slid against her thigh, the redhead's finger curling to brush the sensitive spot inside of her, causing her older sister to let out tiny moans with every movement.

Both now covered in a thin sheen of sweat, the pair panted and slid against each other, trying to find the rhythm they so desperately needed to push them over the edge. Anna could feel a tug at her core, growing stronger and stronger until it threatened to engulf her. She was so close.

"An- _Anna_. Fuck! _Please_!" her sister cried, gripping her waist with her free hand, her nails leaving crescent-shaped marks on the girl's fair skin.

Hearing her name escape the blonde with such desperation, combined with the pain and pleasure of Elsa's ministrations mixing together in a heady combination that heightened every one of her senses…it was too much for Anna. She went over the edge.

Her moans echoed off the icy walls as she came, back arching off the floor, the action causing her to push her finger deep into the blonde, and Elsa followed her over the cliff with a scream.

Ice exploded somewhere above them, littering the floor with shards of blue. Snow billowed from all directions, engulfing the room. The two girls were oblivious, lost in pure ecstasy, senses on fire and feeling for all the world that they were standing on the edge of heaven.

Minutes passed before Anna opened her eyes, feeling the tiny aftershocks of her orgasm course through her as she stroked her sister's hair, kissing the blonde's temple as she rode out the remnants of her own.

Soon they were still, and Anna slowly slid her finger out from the older girl, feeling her shudder. Moving her arm around Elsa's shoulders, she cuddled the blonde closer to her, and bit back a groan as her sister's finger left her.

Heart full of something she couldn't describe, she turned her head slightly to kiss the blonde's temple, smiling down when the girl tilted her head up to look at her.

"Hi," the redhead said, softly.

"Hi yourself," Elsa replied, smiling back. "That was…_wow_."

Anna chuckled. "Yeah, it was _wow_." A tear escaped the younger girl's eye, and her sister wiped it away with her palm. "You're so beautiful," she gushed, running her fingers through the queen's mussed hair.

The blonde buried her face into Anna's neck, blushing. The younger girl tugged her up, drawing her into a kiss, before moving to whisper in her ear. "I love you. A whole lot."

Elsa tried to laugh, but it came out as a kind of sob instead. "I love you too," she whispered back, laying her head on the redhead's chest. "Thank you for not giving up on me."

"Never," Anna replied.


	9. Beware The Frozen Heart

**A/N:** Thanks for all the comments on the last chapter. Here's hoping none of you got caught with a hand in your pants. And I'm almost insulted some of you think I was going to finish up the story there. What kind of a normal, well-adjusted person do you think I am? I haven't even _begun_ to flay you with angst yet.

* * *

Elsa was utterly radiant in her beauty.

And she was making the simple act of spreading jam on rye bread look awfully good. Biting her lip just so, holding the knife in those deft fingers, humming softly.

Or maybe Anna was just hungry. For Elsa. Not the bread.

The humming stopped. "You're drooling," came the queen's voice, dryly. She held up the piece of bread. "Would you like some?"

"_Yes_." The redhead breathed, completely ignoring the food in her sister's hand and looking at her with a heated gaze.

The older girl smirked, and took a bite, accidentally – or purposefully, Anna didn't really care – leaving a small speck of jam at the corner of her mouth. A pink tongue slipped out from between her lips and swept over to the offending spot, neatly licking it up.

Anna whined and shifted in her seat.

"Really, Anna," the blonde teased, "you need to learn to control yourself. Those aren't appropriate sounds to make during breakfast. I mean, I know this food is _delectable_, but…" she took another bite and moaned softly.

The younger girl's knuckles were turning white from gripping the arms of her chair so tightly. Before she was forced to reign herself in to prevent her from jumping on the queen, Elsa placed the bread back on the plate and stood up.

"Sorry Anna, but I simply _must_ get going," she stated in a playfully haughty and effusive tone. "My presence is required at several meetings with Arendelle's farmers and fishermen as we plan for next year's shipment to the Southern Isles."

The blonde moved closer, Anna watching her with wide eyes as she leant down to the younger girl, their lips almost touching. Bringing a hand to the redhead's face, Elsa found the white streak hiding amongst her sister's loose red hair, and twirled it gently, whispering, "Behave whilst I'm gone, won't you?" She gave Anna a wink that was just _unfairly_ seductive.

And with that, she exited the room, fully aware that her sister's eyes followed her hips the whole way out.

With the blonde gone, Anna dropped her head back, closing her eyes and trying to get her breathing under control.

She honestly couldn't help herself. Less than three days ago she had been ravaging the older girl, dominating her in ways that she was sure the queen had never imagined her younger sister capable of. But now, Elsa had the redhead wrapped around her little finger, making Anna yearn for her by doing something as mundane as eating breakfast.

She should have seen it coming, she supposed. The blonde had turned the tables fairly quickly once she had submitted to her desires that afternoon in the palace. Their descent down the mountain at dusk had been filled with stolen kisses, Elsa pushing her into the trees to hide their actions from travellers who had waited out the storm and could finally return to their homes. She'd groped the redhead as they passed, stifling her moans with a hand and grinning wickedly as the younger girl's eyes rolled back into her head at the sensations.

The queen had been even bolder within the confines of the castle, pushing her sister into dark corners and closets, hands under her skirt, nails dragging up her thigh, lips on her neck, whispering deliciously dirty things in her ear...

_God_. She needed air. Right now.

Unwilling to let anyone see her in her flustered state, she rushed from the dining room, heading for the castle's private gardens.

* * *

Prince Karl paced over the rich, purple carpet that covered the floor of the guest chambers, holding a crumpled letter in his right hand. Stopping at the window, he unfolded the paper to read it a fifth time.

_Karl,_

_I have not received word from you in over a week now. I trust your negotiations with the Queen of Arendelle are progressing in a timely manner._

_I should hope you understand how important your success is to the prosperity of our kingdom. Without it, there is no telling what kind of future our people will endure._

_I expect a full account of the results of your agreement with the Queen within three days._

_Your father,_

_King Friedrich Wilhem of the Southern Isles_

His father's handwriting mocked him from the paper, the embossed crest at the top a pretentious reminder of how desperate the king was to assert his status over everyone, including his own sons. The prince was _fully_ aware of what was at stake, but he was not yet ready to reveal to the Queen the true reason for his visit.

Growling, he balled up the note and hurled it into a corner. He was going to have to speed up his preparation if he wanted to appease his father now.

* * *

Anna wandered through the gardens, singing to herself, her head clearer now that she was distracted by the gentle twittering of birds and the light scent of flowers on the breeze.

Able to think coherently for the first time in days, she sat down on a small stone bench, watching the sun sparkle off the North Sea. The location of the castle gardens would have afforded her a sweeping view of the coast had it not been for the conifers that partly blocked the way to the south, but through their trunks she spied glimpses of ships sailing along the water.

With that, her thoughts drifted to Prince Karl, and Anna clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth in contemplation. Why was he still here? Not that she didn't care for the prince, but she _did_ feel slightly awkward around him due to the fact that she wasn't sure how to reject his advances without letting on that she only had eyes for her sister. And now that he'd delivered on his end of the new agreement between Arendelle and the Southern Isles, surely he needed to return to his kingdom?

The redhead had a terrible thought. Oh _lord_, what if he was there to _court_ Anna? Or worse, Elsa? She smacked a hand to her forehead. She should have seen it sooner! Arendelle was geographically the closest kingdom to the Southern Isles, so it only made sense that eventually one of the monarchs would see the benefit in the joining of their royal families and their lands.

She felt a sinking feeling in her stomach. Elsa was currently absolutely smitten with her, but no doubt she would remember her duty to Arendelle soon enough, especially if Prince Karl proposed something as serious as _marriage_. Anna meant everything to her sister, she knew that. She just wasn't sure if the queen would allow herself to let her heart rule the kingdom, instead of her head.

Lowering her hand, the redhead stared back out at the Sea, trying to find answers in its glittering surface.

She furrowed her brow as she saw something large fluttering in her peripheral vision from between branches to the south, turning her head towards it in the hope of determining what it was. Standing up from the bench and approaching the trees, she squinted, realising it was a flag. The flag of the Southern Isles. Attached to a mast. Prince Karl's ship? But…why would Prince Karl's ship be leaving Arendelle when he was still in the castle? She slipped between two trunks, ducking under branches until she reached the other side of the tiny forest, finally getting a full view of the vessel.

That _wasn't_ Prince Karl's ship. This one was bigger, meaner. A huge frigate, with what looked to be fifty cannons lining its sides, hundreds of crew members swarming over its deck. It was guarded on all sides by four smaller – but no less fearsome – brigs, their metal rams glinting like knives as they sliced the water, powering forward, heading straight for Arendelle.

Anna whipped around, hitching up her skirt to run back to the castle, beyond terrified. She had to find Elsa. The frigate would completely decimate anything it fired upon, and despite still fearing the true strength of her powers, the queen was the only one who had any kind of chance at disabling the monstrous ship.

She flew around the corner of the castles outer wall, suddenly colliding with something – or rather, _someone_ – solid.

"Oof!" she grunted, almost falling backwards, were it not for a hand shooting out to grab her arm.

"Princess Anna," came a concerned male voice from above her. "What's wrong?"

She'd run into the last person she wanted to find at that very moment. Prince Karl himself.

Staring up at him with wide eyes, Anna tried to remove her arm from his grip and pretend nothing was wrong. "Prince Karl! I, uh, need to- I was just-" she stumbled, trying to bury her fear and move around him.

The prince narrowed his eyes and tightened his jaw. He knew. Terror flooded the girl's veins as he pushed her against the rough stone of the castle. A heinous grin appeared on his face.

"You've seen them, haven't you? They're finally here." He threw his head back with menacing laughter. "Gripping her arm even tighter, he bent down uncomfortably close. "Then you know what I'm _really_ here for."

The redhead tried to appear defiant. "You'll never take Arendelle, you brute!" she spat. "My sister won't let-"

"Arendelle?" the prince laughed again. "And what makes you think I want this despicable excuse for a kingdom? No, my dear, I'm only interested in taking one thing from this sorry place." He bared his teeth in a wicked smile. "That _demon_ all you imbeciles worship as queen."

Despite her current position, Anna couldn't help but blurt out the first question Prince Karl's confession had sparked. "Why do you want my sister?" She snapped. Feeling slightly braver, she added, "Actually, it doesn't matter. You'll never be able to kill her. She's more powerful than your whole country combined!"

The prince didn't falter. "_Exactly_," he retorted. He shook her arm cruelly "Which is why I don't want to _kill_ her, you stupid girl. I'm taking her _back_ to the Southern Isles with me. " Seeing her look of confusion, the man continued. "My brother never understood my father's fascination with her either. But _I _understand why that old fool keeps sending us to this…_wasteland_. Can you _imagine_ how unstoppable we would be with her at the head of our army? We could raze towns in mere minutes. Kingdoms will fall at our feet and monarchs will beg us to spare them our wrath. I will be the most feared general this world has ever seen – an Alexander the Great for a new era."

The redhead was shaking her head in disbelief. "You're _sick_. Elsa would _never_ join you. She doesn't kill people, she _helps_ them. She's ten times the leader you could _ever_ be!"

The prince gave her a lecherous grin. "Of course, how utterly _stupid_ of me to think you've seen the aggressive side of your sister outside of her _fucking_ you in a broom closet." Anna's heart leapt into her throat. The man chuckled. "I'm not blind, and you two are recklessly obvious. I'm surprised you haven't yet been lynched by an angry mob of the barbaric Neanderthals you call your people." Letting out a noise of mock disapproval, he continue, "Well, no matter. It certainly makes my life easier. She'll do anything I ask her to if I threaten her precious Arendelle or the life of her _helpless_ little Anna."

The girl tried to wrench her arm free once again, but the prince was having none of it. He slammed her limb back into the wall, and she cried out in pain. "_Your sister_," he ground out, "is nothing but a monster who _slaughtered_ two of my countrymen. That idiotic brother of mine underestimated her power and sent them to stop her without the proper resources. She let one fall to his death without a second thought, and turned the other into decorative _pin cushion_ on the wall of that unholy ice palace! Had he not pulled a crossbow on her, she probably would have murdered my brother at the same time."

Anna felt sick, stomach rolling. She closed her eyes desperately to silence the part of her that believed the prince. The blonde wasn't a killer. The redhead refused to believe it. Elsa was kind and gentle. But she was overwhelmed by the warring images in her head, losing track of which were real and which were twisted falsehoods produced by the man's brutal words. Elsa looking down at her, wearing nothing but a smirk. Elsa fiercely pulling jagged sheets of ice from the floor of her palace. Elsa whimpering her name as the redhead touched her gently. Elsa viciously throwing a spike of ice at a man's throat. She began to cry as the memories of their lovemaking were tainted by the idea that her sister could have killed in that very room.

The prince was laughing heartlessly at her soft weeping. "Ah, you see it now, don't you? That _beast_ your sister hides inside of her. Poor little Anna. _Always_ falling for the _nastiest_ soul in the room," He mocked. Like a cobra striking, he grabbed her other wrist, lifting both her arms above her head and pinning them to the wall with one of his massive hands. The redhead struggled against his grasp, but it was no use. The prince had a vice-like grip on her.

"Hans talked about you. Quite a lot, I might add." The prince stroked her cheek with the back of his hand, the action a stark contradiction to the way he was manhandling her. "The poor boy seemed _genuinely_ disheartened that he had to sacrifice you to break the queen enough for him to even attempt her capture." Moving a rough hand to grab her waist, the prince added, "He thinks you would have made a _fine_ plaything. He'll be just _devastated_ to find out his older brother took both of the objects he wanted most in this world."

Anna bucked, trying to throw him off of her. He responded by violently slamming his weight into the girl, pinning her flat against the coarse stone wall. He yanked at a pleat on her skirt, and the redhead heard the ripping of fabric. Frantic now, she spat in his eye, glaring angrily at him through her tears. "_Don't touch me_!"

Prince Karl backhanded her across the face, fist full of green silk, splitting her lip, before grabbing her chin and sneering. "What's wrong? You're going to pretend you don't enjoy this?" His eyes were devoid of all humour now. "I've heard the things you scream when the queen dominates you. You're just a filthy _whore_," he barked, throwing her head to the side as he yanked his hand away from her face. "Luckily, for your sake, I'm above whores like you," he finished, his voice insinuating he was doing her a favour.

The prince stepped back, his gaze never losing its intensity. "You tell a single _soul_ about what I have planned for your queen," he threw an arm to the side, gesturing to Arendelle, "and I will make you and your sister watch as I burn _all_ of this to the ground." He moved his hand to jab a finger in her direction. "Then I will _kill_ you in front of her, and beat her – to within an inch of her depraved life if I must – until I crush her spirit and turn her into the bloodthirsty weapon I know she truly is!"

He spun and stalked off, but not before throwing the shred of the redhead's dress at her feet as a chilling reminder of his threat. Adrenaline leaving her body, Anna crumpled onto the grass beneath her, face in her hands and chest heaving with sobs, feeling more hopeless than she'd ever felt in her life.


	10. No Escape From The Storm

**A/N:** Thanks for all the reviews, you guys. The insane obsession you have for this story sustains me when I can't drag myself away from the keyboard long enough to get food. I especially enjoy the enthusiastic all-caps reviews from (Ex)Happy Anon. I wish I knew who you were.

* * *

Kristoff was sitting in his favourite armchair, feet propped up on a stool, strumming his new lute quietly, when he heard a hysterical pounding at his door. He tried to ignore it.

The hammering continued.

Figuring that whoever was attempting to break down his door wouldn't leave until answered, he scrambled out of the seat and lunged for the doorhandle. "What?!" he yelled, yanking it open. When he saw the figure opposite him, his voice softened with surprise. "Anna?"

The redhead stood on his doorstep, tears tracks on her cheeks, lip bleeding and a bruise on her face, looking unsure as to whether she should come inside or not. "Oh _god_, Anna! What- who _did_ this to you?" White hot anger coursed through his veins. "Tell me who it was! I'll kill him!" he yelled, slamming a fist against the door. Anna was backing away anxiously, looking like she might bolt at any moment. Kristoff reached out to stop her. Gently grabbing her wrist, he was stunned when the girl's hand came flying at his face, her nails leaving four shallow yet stinging scratches on his cheek.

"Let go of me!" She shrieked. He dropped her arm like it was a hot coal, trying to think of something, anything that would calm her down. "Anna, it's okay. Whatever's going on…just tell me what's wrong. Is it Elsa? Did someone hurt you two?" Kristoff got a response in the affirmative when the redhead began to cry. "Is she okay? What can I do?" Getting nothing from the girl except an agonised look, he stepped aside, giving her plenty of space to enter his home whilst keeping his distance.

The redhead accepted his wordless invitation and crept inside, keeping her eyes trained on him the whole time. "Anna," he said, trying to convey a promise that he wouldn't hurt her through his tone. "It's okay. You're okay. You're safe here." He cracked a small smile. "It's me, Kristoff. Your stinky friend, remember? I won't hurt you."

He was wholly unprepared when the girl threw herself at him, flinging her arms around his neck and sobbing into his chest. Stunned, the ice harvester gently embraced her. "Please, Anna…talk to me. I want to help." Getting nothing from the girl except the tightening of her fists around his tunic, he sighed, picking her up and sitting down in the armchair, cradling the redhead against him, opting to wait out the storm of emotions within her.

Minutes passed, and the girl's fervent crying subsided to small sniffles. She turned her face up to look at the man, eyes red and looking lost and unsure of anything. Kristoff's heart broke at the sight. "Tell me what happened," he coaxed, gently.

The dam broke, and Anna's words flooded his ears. Through hiccups, she recounted everything, from the flag to the five ships, to running back through the gardens and bumping into the prince. Squeezing her eyes shut, she told her friend in excruciating detail how the man had violated her, and it was all Kristoff could do to keep from sprinting to the castle to kill the worthless animal with his bare hands. A sweet, harmless girl like Anna was the last person in Arendelle to deserve what she'd been through, and the blonde man cursed whatever higher power had decided that his friend should have to experience it.

"You _need_ to tell your sister, Anna," he insisted. "Where is she? She needs to know what's going on."

The girl wrung her hands together. "She's been in meetings all day. I haven't seen her since this morning. Besides, I _can't _tell her," she jabbed a finger into his chest, "and neither can you!" She looked at him with pleading eyes that begged him to understand. "You _know_ what Elsa's like. What happens when she's scared or angry. She doesn't think rationally! If I tell her what he said to me," she paused, "what he did to me," a shuddering breath, and then a tenacious exhale, "she'll confront him, and he'll start his crusade against our people."

"Not if she incapacitates him first," the man argued.

"Weren't you listening to me?" the redhead cried, irritated. "There are at least three-hundred men on warships headed for this kingdom! If they find out the prince has been captured, they'll still attack, or worse, they'll send word back to the Southern Isles and we'll have their entire armada bearing down on us in days!"

Kristoff was growing frustrated now. "Elsa will stop all of them, too. She'll stop _anyone_ who tries to come for you, her or Arendelle!"

Anna pushed herself off of the man's lap, looking at him with disbelief. "_How_? Not even _Elsa_ can hold back a fleet of five-hundred ships forever."

The ice harvester threw his hands up. "She doesn't _have _to hold them back. She can just _destroy_ them! Once this king sees she's that dangerous, he'll leave us alone! _Everyone_ will leave us alone!"

The redhead squeezed her eyes shut, hearing the words Kristoff _wasn't_ saying. The only way to stop that large of fleet was to utterly annihilate it and put the fear of god into the kingdom it sailed under. And fear of that magnitude only came from taking away that which man valued above anything else on earth – his life.

Physically, the queen was more than capable. But emotionally? Anna ground her teeth as she pushed aside that _damn_ nagging feeling in her gut that Karl may have been telling her the truth about her sister's temperament.

The girl's eyes snapped open. No. To deliberately use her powers for destruction on that kind of scale, killing men outright or leaving them to drown, trapped under icy wreckage in the waters of the fjord…Elsa was _not_ capable of that.

She glared at Kristoff. "So you see her exactly like Karl does. Just some _weapon_ you can point at anything you want to obliterate!"

"No that's not-" the man stopped himself short. That's exactly what he'd meant. His shoulders slumped. "Anna, I'm sorry. I didn't think. Elsa- your sister…she's not a killer. You know that and I know that. So I'm sorry."

The redhead's face softened and she moved to squeeze the man's hand. "I know. I'm sorry too. I shouldn't- you're nothing like him. It wasn't fair of me to say that."

Kristoff squeezed back and smiled at her. "We'll work this out, okay? I promise." His face darkened a little. "In the meantime, you stay the hell away from that creep, alright?" He took her other hand. "Do you want me to walk you back to the castle?" he asked, tenderly.

The redhead nodded, and so he led her out the door.

* * *

Night time found a weary Elsa finally returning to her castle, hours upon hours of conversation swirling in her head. She yearned for her sister terribly, not for carnal reasons, but just simply to hold her. To remind her that someone believed in her abilities as queen when even she herself doubted them. Pushing open the door to Anna's chambers, she found it dark, candles extinguished hours ago and the girl in question already dead to the world. Not having the heart to wake her, the blonde backed out of the room, hearing the latch click softly as she pulled the door shut.

She padded down the hallway to her own chambers, ready to collapse but forcing herself to at least attempt to put proper bedclothes on. Unfastening her cloak and draping it over a chair, she turned to move to the dresser, but was stopped mid-stride by a scream from Anna's room. She panicked, almost tripping over the cloak she'd just removed, not bothering to open the door wider than was necessary for her to slip out and sprint the short distance to her sister.

Throwing herself against the wood, she burst through the doorway, finding her sister in a fitful sleep, arms thrashing, obviously having a nightmare. She was whimpering now, and Elsa rushed to her side, kneeling on the bed, trying to hold her arms steady so the readhead wouldn't hurt herself.

"Anna! _Anna!_ Wake up!" The blonde called, desperately, gripping Anna's wrists.

The queen found she'd only made things worse. Her sister's eyes snapped open, unfocused and fearful. "Get off me!" the younger girl cried, trying to wriggle out of the blonde's grip. In the ensuing struggle, Elsa caught a glimpse of her swollen lip and bruised cheek, the gash she'd left herself merely days ago hardly visible when compared to the brutality of the new injury.

She inhaled sharply, head swimming with confusion, rage, fear…too many emotions to keep track of as they roiled in her mind, crashing over each other in waves, until suddenly she felt something collide with her middle and she keeled over, winded. Anna had kicked her square in the chest, but had finally made sense of her surroundings. Whatever demon had been terrorising her was now trapped in her subconscious.

"Elsa, oh, god, I'm sorry. Are you okay? Did I hurt you?" The younger girl asked, fretfully. The blonde waved her concerns away, still winded and unable to talk. "What happened?"

Regaining her breath, Elsa began to explain. "I heard you screaming, so I raced in here, only to find you about to give yourself a broken cheekbone." She eyed the angry bruise on her sister's face, adding quietly, "Imagine my surprise when I realised someone already had."

The redhead looked away. Elsa touched her arm gently, finally noticing the bruises on her wrist. "Anna, who did this to you?" The younger girl just looked back at her sadly, avoiding the question and responding with one of her own.

"You've never killed anyone, have you?" she asked. The blonde was completely unprepared for the sudden change in topic, and looked at her sister, eyes full of hurt.

"What? No! Of course not. Why would you- Did someone tell you I did?" The redhead didn't answer her. "Is _that_ why you were so terrified of me just now?"

"No, no," her younger sister replied, quickly, but not elaborating any further. Instead she looked disgusted with herself. "_God_, how could I even ask you that? You'd never hurt _anyone_." She turned away. "I'm sorry, Elsa. I just- I had no right to-"

The queen's voice stopped her short. "No, actually, if…well, if anyone had the right to ask, it would probably be you."

Anna turned back, puzzled. The blonde tried to explain herself. "You're the only person in this kingdom who believed from the very beginning that I never meant to hurt anyone. And that trust…it means _everything_ to me, Anna. So I guess…I mean, if you need to ask me that question to keep trusting me, I'll answer it every time, even if it hurts like hell to be reminded that there are people out there who think I'm some kind of monster."

Sighing, the queen realised she'd probably made Anna feel guilty with all this talk of hurt, when what she really needed was to feel secure. The blonde reached out to the younger girl slowly, trying to make her intentions clear. "Can I hold you?" she asked.

The girl nodded, and so Elsa moved fully onto bed, resting her back against the headboard as her sister buried herself into the blonde's arms. The queen felt the redhead's warm breath on her neck as she watched her fiddle with the embroidery on the front of Elsa's dress. The older girl's heart ached for her sister as she kissed the top of her head.

Her eyebrows crept up in pleasant surprise as she felt the redhead's hand drift higher, her palm ghosting over the fabric covering the queen's breast. A soft kiss was placed on her neck and Elsa's eyes fluttered closed. Suddenly Anna grew rough, groping her through the dress. She sat up to straddle the blonde, kissing her urgently. The older girl moved to run a hand up the back of her sister's thigh, but before she could even get close, the girl grabbed her arm and forced it behind Elsa's back at a slightly unnatural angle. The queen yelped – sound muffled by the younger girl's tongue in her mouth – not so much from the pain as she did from the surprise at her sister being so violent. She felt a warm wetness on her cheek, and her eyes shot open to see tears rolling down Anna's face.

Using her free hand, the blonde tried to push Anna away by the shoulder, but she wouldn't budge. Elsa broke the kiss with some difficulty, ducking her head to the side when the younger girl tried to come at her again.

"Hey, hey, slow down," she said gently, holding a hand to Anna's chest to keep her at bay.

The redhead looked distressed. "You don't want me," she said, quietly, more of a statement than a question.

"No, it's not that," The queen assured her. "I want you. So much. But not like this. Something's really bothering you. You won't let me touch you, and, uh, you almost broke my arm."

Her sister was shaking as she let go of Elsa's wrist. Moving her hands to cup the younger girl's face, she was alarmed when Anna pulled her head back once again. Searching her eyes for any hint of what was going on in the redhead's mind, she was interrupted by the girl's voice.

"I don't want to be touched," she confessed. And everything fell into place for the queen.

"Whatever beast of a man did this to you," she gestured to the redhead's injured face, "didn't stop there, huh?" Anna's silence was enough to know she was right. Steeling herself, she continued. "Did he…" she ground her teeth together, about to try again, but she was spared from having to force the words out by the sight of the younger girl shaking her head. The queen exhaled, unsure if she could have handled a nod to the affirmative.

"Anna…I'm not him," she said, tenderly. "And I won't do anything if you don't want me to. But I want to show you how you deserve to be touched. If you'll let me."

A beat, and the redhead leaned forward to kiss her once again. The action was all the incentive Elsa needed.

The blonde looped her right arm around her sister's waist, gently rolling them over so that Anna was on her back, red hair splayed on the pillow underneath her head. Elsa smiled down at her sister affectionately, bringing her left hand up to caress the younger girl's white streak. "You're beautiful, you know?" she gushed, kissing her nose. The redhead blushed, not looking convinced, but the queen didn't push it, deciding to show the younger girl instead of simply tell her. Freeing her arm from underneath her sister, Elsa placed her hand on the girl's chest, feeling it rise and fall with each breath, heart fluttering under her palm.

She kissed the redhead slowly and deeply before sitting up, swiftly pulling the dress she was wearing over her head, tossing it to the floor. Clad in only a slip, she moved her lips to Anna's collarbone, trailing butterfly kisses across it, up her neck and across her jawline, feeling one of the younger girl's hands move up to tangle in her hair, the other splayed out over her back.

Elsa slid a hand up the redhead's thigh, bringing the hem of her nightgown along with it. She pulled back to look her sister in the eyes, searching for any sign of reluctance. Anna's half-smile let her know she younger girl consented, and so the queen moved her hand to the spot between redhead's thighs, fingers softly gliding over the wetness she found.

Her sister's breath hitched, and she let out a tiny mewling sound. Elsa pressed a little harder, eliciting a moan from the redhead, and when she found the sensitive nub between the younger girl's folds, she circled it once, twice, before pulling her finger away and simply tracing light patterns over her centre. Anna's hips bucked, and she whined, but the blonde didn't give in.

Using her free hand to undo the buttons on the redhead's nightgown, Elsa trailed her lips down the skin she was slowly revealing, admiring the girl's freckles like they were stars in a night sky only she could see. Pushing fabric aside, she continued down the valley between Anna's breasts, over her stomach and down to her hip, until she found her sister's delicate skin marred by the subtle yellow of another bruise. Hesitating only for a second, she kissed it softly, feeling her sister tremble underneath her.

Looking up, she realised Anna was crying again, and she faltered, taking her hand away from between the younger girl's legs and attempting to move back up towards the top of the bed.

A shaky hand on her wrist stopped her. The redhead was looking at her with an intensity Elsa had never seen before. "Please, don't stop. I need this." She closed her eyes briefly before opening them again, lashes wet. "I need _you_," she breathed.

The queen's chest tightened, and she nodded silently. Still, Anna's tears worried her enough that she wanted to be sure the younger girl wouldn't have any delusions about who was touching her, and so she shifted up anyway, lips hovering over her sister's, moving a hand to cup her face and gently run her thumb over the girl's uninjured cheek.

"Just…keep your eyes open, alright? Remember it's me. You're safe." And she kissed her deeply, resuming her gentle strokes in the redhead's wetness, feeling her sister's arms wrap around her shoulders, clinging to her like she was a life raft in a storm. The blonde slipped a finger inside the younger girl, the rumble of a groan starting in Anna's chest, until their lips parted and it escaped her mouth, the redhead panting with the lack of air and the pleasure she felt from her sister's actions.

Anna's cries steadily became more intense, and the queen increased the speed of her movements until suddenly, the redhead arched her back, eyes slamming shut as her head fell back and a long moan bearing Elsa's name was ripped from her throat. The blonde pushed her nose into the younger girl's hair, softly whispering gentle assurances into her ear.

The redhead came back to earth, quivering, barely able to hold herself together. The queen pushed a lock of hair back from her sticky forehead, Anna looking at her with pleading eyes, before burying her face in the blonde's neck.

The older girl held her tightly. "You're okay, I've got you," she whispered. "You can let go."

And Anna did, falling apart in her sister's arms, Elsa desperately trying to hold the pieces together.


	11. Do You Want To Build A Snowman?

**A/N**: So much love. You're all fucking fantastic. I figured most of you'd be running for the hills by now but it turns out you're all just sick masochists like me that want to roll in angst all day long.

To (Ex)Happy(IDK)ThankfulAnon – arguably my biggest fan if caps are truly the language of love – let me tell you now that when I end up in a smokey room in Vegas, working as a stripper to pay the bills after neglecting to find employment just so I can write this entire story before it eats me from the inside out...I'll be thinking of you.

* * *

Prince Karl's boots thudded heavily against the deck of his ship as he approached the quartermaster. The sun had yet to appear on the horizon, but the orange hues in the sky heralded its imminent arrival. He fixed his lieutenant with an unyielding stare.

"Where did they anchor?" he asked. The man in front of him gestured to the islet just beyond the bottleneck that connected Arendelle's port to the North Sea. "Behind Askøy, sir," he declared. "They're invisible to Arendelle, but in their current position, they'll be able to spot any ship from a mile away."

The prince nodded his approval. "Good," he simply said. Then, face morphing to one of gruesome delight, he continued. "We may have supplied basic necessities to these animals, but I know their kind. Soon enough they'll be shredding their fabrics to make gaudy dresses instead of putting them to use on the masts of their fishing boats. Turning fruit into booze instead of using it for sustenance. Desperate to hide their revolting natures behind glittering falsehoods." He smirked, turning to stare aimlessly at the castle. "Like putting lipstick on a pig." He shook his head. "Arendelle relies far too much on those gold-hungry merchant ships she lets into her port, like a common whore." Facing the man beside him, he gave his orders. "Obliterate any ship that gets within a mile of here. I don't care what it is. From this moment on, Arendelle is closed to _everyone_." His eyes were cold. "When they're starving, begging in the streets for their monarch to satiate their hunger…only then will I show mercy to this kingdom. Only _then_ will I offer their queen the choice to trade her life for those of her people."

He moved to disembark the ship, but stopped mid-stride, glancing back at the quartermaster. "And have targets set up on the deck of this vessel by tonight. I want to practice my aim."

* * *

Elsa watched her sister patting a large mound of conjured snow into what she imagined was supposed to be a vaguely spherical shape. The redhead was engrossed in the task, but there was a small smile on her face – the first Elsa had seen all day.

Kristoff was amongst the trees, hunched over at the waist, looking for what he described as being 'the perfect branches' for snowman arms. Olaf was bouncing around beside him, picking up all sorts of forest detritus, completely oblivious to the ice harvester's sighs of mild annoyance when – for the fiftieth time – he had to explain to Olaf why a pinecone wasn't of any use to him. Sven was following the pair, chewing on every one of the pinecones Olaf dropped behind him, each time equally disappointed at the fact that it wasn't edible.

The queen had been ordered – by Anna herself, no less – to search the castle for two matching buttons. She insisted they be a specific shade of blue, and whilst the blonde didn't acknowledge it, she knew the younger girl had been referring to the shade of her older sister's eyes. Not sure whether to be flattered or mildly offended that the girl was building a bottom-heavy snowman in her likeness, she'd opted to just find the buttons and take the effigy at face value.

Anna had awoken with the sun earlier that morning, revelling in the few seconds of peace she had before all of her fears came careening back with full force. Sitting up with a jolt, she'd peered out the window overlooking the port, bewildered at the fact that the warships, as well as Karl's own ship, were nowhere to be seen. Sliding out of the bed, she padded across the room, pressing her face to the glass, trying to get a view of the inlet leading to Arendelle.

Everything was quiet. The water was still. She furrowed her brow. Obviously Karl had a more subtle plan than throwing the strength of his small armada in their face, and the redhead was growing frustrated at her inability to see what probably would have been glaringly obvious to her sister. Elsa was the strategist, not her, and without all the pieces, she had no hope of trying to outwit the prince at the sick puzzle he was assembling right underneath their noses.

Karl was a sociopath, and despite feeling almost no emotion of his own, he was utterly brilliant when it came to picking up on the idiosyncratic behaviour of others. He'd played the sisters off against each other masterfully, creating a sort of impasse, in which Anna was afraid to reveal anything, and Elsa couldn't focus on her kingdom until she knew what was bothering the younger girl.

Taking it as a small favour from a higher power that she wasn't literally at the mercy of Karl's sword right this moment – and desperately needing a distraction – she moved back to the bed and draped herself on top of the older girl, nipping at her ear until Elsa had opened an eye in response. The redhead declared that since the sky was awake, she was awake, and it was time to play. Grinning at the younger girl's choice of words, the queen was reminded of a time when everything was simpler, and trying not to wake sleeping parents was their only concern.

"Do you wanna build a snowman?" Elsa had asked, anticipating her sister's inevitable request and taking the words out of her mouth. Anna had sulked until the blonde had kissed her deeply, and then she found she was only half-annoyed that she'd missed her opportunity to ask the question herself.

Breakfast was a quiet affair, the distinct lack of servants, especially male ones – the redhead guessed the queen had everything to do with that – allowing for Elsa to shift her chair unusually close to her sister, stealing quick kisses on her temple or cheek anytime the room was empty save for them. Anna was touched by the attention the older girl was paying her, but she drew the line when the blonde had attempted to cut her cheese up into tiny squares.

"I'm not five, Elsa. I won't choke on things if they're not smaller than a skilling." The younger girl watched her sister bite her lip to hide a smile.

"No, of course you won't. I'm sorry. How silly of me," she said, sounding like she was altogether not sorry at all.

Anna later saw her struggle not to spit out a mouthful of tea when the redhead dropped the entire wedge of cheese on the floor after spearing it with her fork. Pursing her lips together, she'd declared, "Well, I didn't want it anyway," and the blonde was forced to swallow a laugh.

Mid-morning had found them at Kristoff's door, the knuckles of Anna's right hand rapping out her peculiar little rhythm on the wood, the fingers of her left tangled with Elsa's. The blonde had looked unsure when her younger sister had asked if they could invite the ice harvester to build a snowman with them, and when Anna had mistaken it for jealousy, trying to assure the queen that building a snowman would always be _their_ 'thing', Elsa had tried to explain herself without directly alluding to the redhead's breakdown the night before. Finding her unique sort of chivalry rather endearing, Anna had watched her blush and gesture awkwardly until she took pity on her sister.

"It's alright, Elsa. I get it," she smiled, her sister sighing in relief at being let off the hook. "But I'm okay with Kristoff. He's like a giant teddy bear, really. Well, you know, if teddy bears were kind of stinky and really, really loved ice."

The man in question had jumped at the chance to spend time with the girls, but when Anna had gone to find Olaf amongst whichever patch of flowers he'd found himself enamoured with today, she was convinced her sister had been threatening the poor ice harvester with bodily harm, simply because of his masculinity. The redhead returned to find Kristoff looking a little pale and Elsa with an unreadable expression, which only softened when she spied the flowers in the redhead's hand.

"Pretty flowers for a pretty girl," she quipped.

Anna rolled her eyes. "Olaf gave them to me. And since when were you such a romantic?"

The blonde quirked an eyebrow, smiling. "What? I can't tell my sister she's pretty?"

The younger girl didn't respond, If Elsa hadn't been so attuned to the redhead's emotions, she might have overlooked the meaning behind the way Anna's tongue quickly darted out to run over the gash in her lip.

Kristoff, however, had missed the undercurrent of the exchange, gazing at the pair with a dopey smile on his face. The blonde whacked him in the stomach with the back of her hand. "You're staring," she snapped, not really all that annoyed at the man, but figuring a jibe at his expense would take his focus off the redhead long enough for her to compose herself. Anna was grateful.

And soon, they had found themselves taking the creation of this snowman oddly seriously, like the more effort they put into the innocent pursuit, the less energy the trio had to contemplate the more worrying aspects of their now thoroughly intertwined lives.

Both Kristoff and Elsa had wordlessly agreed that the redhead was in charge, so when the girl approved of the buttons and stick-arms, they let her place the finishing touches on the creation, as they moved to sit on one of stone benches that dotted the far corner of the large garden they were in, Elsa keeping a close eye on her sister.

"This seems so unfair," the man's voice came softly from beside the blonde. "_Look_ at her," he motioned to the redhead. "She didn't deserve what that brute did." Anna was talking to herself in an incredibly endearing way as she tried to find the perfect position for the buttons she was holding in her delicate hands, and the queen's heart melted. She turned to Kristoff.

"Anna doesn't _ever_ deserve to be hurt," she started, "but somehow, that's what keeps happening." Elsa sighed. "At least it wasn't me, for once," she added, dryly. Something flicked across the ice harvester's face before he looked away. The queen's eyes narrowed. "Kristoff…this _wasn't_ my fault, right? What are you not telling me?"

The man looked back at her, desperately trying not to crack, but it was near impossible under the blonde's icy stare. "Wait, you _know_ who did this, don't you!" she hissed, trying not to alert her sister. "_Dammit_, Kristoff! Why didn't you _say_ anything to me? Who was it? And where is he? I'm going to-"

"It was the prince. Karl," The ice harvester interrupted her. Elsa must have looked as stunned as she felt.

"_What?_" she breathed. "No, that's- he's _helping_ us- and he apologised for Hans…" A beat. "That son of a _bitch_," she whispered viciously. Kristoff shifted away from her nervously as he noticed sharp icicles starting to protrude from the bench they were sitting on. "I'll _kill_ him!" The queen moved to stand, but the ice harvester's grip on her arm was holding her back. "Let _go_!"

The man tugged again. "Sit _down_, Elsa! You need to _listen_ to me!" Kristoff rarely became this forceful, and the change in his demeanour gave the blonde enough pause to reluctantly sit again and wait for the man to speak. "He can't know that Anna told you anything. He has five warships with hundreds of men anchored around these fjords somewhere, ready to retaliate as soon as you try to strike. He's threatening to demolish Arendelle and slaughter everyone who lives here if you don't…" he trailed off.

"If I don't _what_, Kristoff?" The queen pressed, already impatient.

The man clenched his jaw. "If you don't surrender and join him as some sort of," he searched for a term that would accurately convey the brutality of Karl's campaign, "…_weapon_ of mass destruction."

The queen was astounded at the prince's arrogance. "What the _hell _makes him think I'd even _consider_ surrendering to him instead of obliterating his fleet right here and now?"

Kristoff put his face in his hands briefly before sitting back up and explaining. "Because his father – the king – was the one who ordered your capture in the first place. That's why Hans was here for your coronation. The whole 'locking him up and taking him back home to his twelve big brothers' was a farce! And if you so much as _touch_ a hair on Karl's head, you'll have every soldier in the Southern Isles knocking at your front door." His hands gesturing wildly now, he continued. "And pretty soon, you'll be forced to kill thousands just to protect your land! So don't you see? No matter what you do, you're either signing a death warrant for the people of Arendelle and turning yourself into a murderer, or just plain choosing to become one, which is _exactly_ what Karl wants!" He was barely keeping his voice under control. "This is why Anna didn't tell you. She would have blamed herself for the loss of every life-"

"Then why are _you_ telling me? Are you saying you _wouldn't_ blame yourself?" the queen interjected, sharply. "Because really, what do you expect me to do? Sit here until Karl decides he's ready to come and take my kingdom?"

Kristoff slumped. "No, I don't. And of course I would feel guilty. This is my home _too_, Elsa. These people are my family." He looked over to Anna, who was now cuddling Sven after the reindeer had dropped a carrot at her side to serve as the snowman's nose. His tone softened. "But I would have felt even guiltier for letting Anna shoulder this responsibility on her own." He looked sideways at the blonde, a self-deprecating smirk on his face. "Besides, you and I both know that neither of us has that same kind of _good_ that Anna has inside of her. Now that we know the truth, we're both clamouring for Karl's blood, when all _she_ was worried about was protecting you from being forced down the path of slaughter." He looked at the queen with an intense expression on his face. "I would do anything to guard that part of her, and I know you would too. _That's_ why I'm telling you."

A tense silence began to settle around the pair, before the ice harvester added, "I'm hoping like hell that you have a plan here, because I really don't." Elsa pinched the bridge of her nose with a frost-covered hand, only just realising she'd covered most of the bench with particularly sharp-looking icicles in her anger.

"I have one," she admitted, "but when I confront that bastard, you're going to have to stay here with Anna in case it doesn't work."

The man began to object, "I want a piece of this guy, Elsa, let me-" But the queen was already shaking her head.

"Kristoff please, I know you want nothing more than to rip his throat out, believe me, I do. But you're the _only_ person I trust to keep my sister safe if I can't. So I _need_ you to stay here with her. Promise me you'll do that when the time comes."

The ice harvester balled his fists, slamming them down on his thighs. "Fine," he huffed. "I promise. Just…tell me what you're going to do."

Elsa stood. "First, I'm going to meet with the commander of Arendelle's navy."


	12. It All Ends Tomorrow

**A/N**: As always, thank you for the reviews. I probably should feel guilty you're all so addicted to wincest, but I suppose it's less of a life-ruining addiction than meth or whatever.

...then again, maybe not.

* * *

Commander Halvor Søiland was an absolute behemoth of a man. Standing at well over six feet tall, he appeared to be built from pure granite, with arms like tree trunks and looking as if he could crush rocks with his bare hands. He stood stoically on the deck of his ship the _Valkyrie_, a sleek but solid brig that was the pride of Arendelle's navy. His keen blue eyes followed the queen as she approached, moving to the railing as the girl drew closer, bowing low before taking her hand to help her board.

"Queen Elsa," he acknowledged. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?"

Despite the current state of affairs, the blonde found the strength to smile up at Halvor. "Please, Commander, there's no need to be so formal." Elsa had always been fond of the huge man standing in front of her, his appearance a stark contrast to his true nature. The commander was a soft-spoken man, preferring to listen when many would rather talk.

Three years ago, as a captain in the navy, he had been slated to escort the King and Queen of Arendelle – Elsa and Anna's parents – to Corona to attend a wedding, but a bad case of frostbite he'd acquired from a recent assignment in the Arctic Circle meant that plans had changed at the last minute, and one of his lieutenants had been at the wheel of the royals' ship on that fateful day instead. He had never explicitly stated it, but the blonde knew the man blamed himself for the death of her parents, and as such, was particularly fond of Elsa and her younger sister.

The queen let the smile drop from her face, attempting to convey the seriousness of the request she was about to make. "Commander, can we talk in your cabin please?" The man frowned, but gestured to the doors at the helm of the ship, moving towards them. Elsa hurried alongside him, trying to keep up with his massive strides.

Only once the commander had locked the door to his cabin behind him did the queen speak. "I'm sure you've noticed that Prince Karl's ship is no longer in port," she began. Halvor nodded, and Elsa should have guessed he would have been the first to notice such a thing. "I know for a fact that he's not on his way back to the Southern Isles. He's still around the fjords here somewhere." She paused, gathering her thoughts.

To his credit, the commander didn't so much as blink at the haphazard introduction to the queen's reason for meeting with him. He just waited silently for her to continue. "Prince Karl has brought a small fleet of warships from the Southern Isles. No doubt he's hiding them where we can't see them, but where he has a strategic view of Arendelle. He means to attack, unless I surrender and agree to accompany him back to his kingdom, where he expects me to become his greatest weapon against anyone who would dare oppose the royal family." The blonde clenched her jaw tightly before finishing, "I wish to show him that Arendelle will _not_ go down without a fight. He is a man that deals only in certainties, and I would hope that with a peaceful display of strength, we can throw enough of a variable into his plans that he will choose to back off."

The commander furrowed his brow and asked gently, "What did you have in mind, my queen?"

Elsa hesistated. She was barely older than twenty-one, with absolutely no military experience, and here was Halvor, the commander of her navy, thousands of voyages and hundreds of battles under his belt, asking for her opinion. He truly was the most humble man she could have hoped for to lead Arendelle's strongest armed force, and to help her now in defending her kingdom. "Exactly how many ships do we have anchored in port right at this moment?" she inquired.

The commander needed but a second to answer her. "Two gunboats, a schooner and the _Valkyrie_, herself, my queen. Unfortunately, our frigate is tied up in the Faroe Islands, but two brigs are making their way back down the coast from Trondheim, and should be here within two days.

The blonde closed her eyes briefly. Three small ships and the _Valkyrie_ weren't going to be enough, but she had no choice. She couldn't wait around for the brigs. "I imagine that if we sail our entire fleet just outside this port, we'll find Prince Karl quite easily. I do not wish to initiate any combat, but I do want him to see how well-organised our force can be, despite its size."

Halvor nodded his approval, and Elsa breathed a sigh of relief. The man put one of his huge hands on her shoulder. "You have my unwavering support, Queen Elsa. My men and I will stand behind you on this." He removed his hand and placed it behind his back to clasp the other. "When do you wish to mobilise the ships?"

"As soon as possible," she stated. "Can you be ready by mid-morning tomorrow? I'd have asked to leave this evening, but it'll be too dark. I want Prince Karl to be able to see us coming." When the commander assented with another nod, she turned to exit the cabin, but not before adding, "We are a proud people, Halvor." The use of the commander's first name by the queen did not go unnoticed by either of them. "Fly our flags high." With that, she was gone.

* * *

Dusk was settling on the waters around Askøy, the last rays of sun illuminating the waters of the North Sea. Prince Karl stood at the railing of his ship, holding a small crossbow bolt up to the dying light, watching it glint as he rolled it between his fingers slowly.

"Have you ever heard of _Curare_, Lief?" he said to the young blonde-haired man standing anxiously at his side.

Lief swallowed. "No, sir, I hav-"

"Oh, what am I saying. Of course you haven't," the prince interrupted. "You seafarers are all the same. Born into filth, you suckle at your mother's teat until she kicks you out as soon as you're old enough to understand the concept of working your hands raw for one measly krone. You join the navy to escape the poverty, seduced by the stories of liquor and women, not once considering there might be a whole other world out there that's _utterly_ beyond your comprehension." He turned to the blonde, twirling the bolt between his fingers before letting it hover dangerously close to Lief's face.

"_Curare_ is a type of poison from South America. In small doses, it weakens the skeletal muscles, effectively paralysing them." The prince picked up his crossbow from where it lay on a keg of gunpowder nearby, and loaded the bolt into the groove of the barrel. A large rat scurried across the deck a few feet away, and the prince made a noise of disgust as he whipped around, bringing the crossbow to his shoulder in an instant, staring down the sights at the pest. He pulled the trigger, and the rat squealed as the bolt hit it its flank, injured but not dead. Karl stalked over to the struggling creature.

"In larger doses, however, it tends to paralyse other muscles as well, like the diaphragm," the rat was gasping now, "which makes it very difficult to breathe." He smiled, cruelly. "In fact, _so_ difficult, that eventually, the body just gives up, and the recipient of a dose of _Curare_ simply," the rat stopped moving completely, "suffocates to death."

He kicked the rat overboard, striding back to his companion. "It's the perfect incapacitating agent. _If_ you can get the dosage right."

Suddenly tired of the young man's presence, he waved him away. "You're dismissed. Tell the men not to bother me. I want to shoot at these in peace," he said, gesturing to the bales of straw Lief had fashioned into vaguely human-shaped targets. The blonde man bowed before moving to the trapdoor that housed the crew's quarters, hearing the thuds of crossbow bolts embedding themselves in the straw.

* * *

Kristoff stood wide-eyed in the middle of the guest chambers, astounded at his lavish surroundings. "I'll be staying _here_?" he questioned, hardly able to believe it.

Elsa watched him from the doorway. "Yes, unless it's not homely enough for you?" She smirked. "I'm sure we can find a space in the stables if you'd prefer?"

The ice harvester looked at her, pretending to be annoyed. "No, I'm fine right here." He jumped onto the bed, swinging his still-booted feet onto the rich purple cover of the king sized bed. "Juuuuust fine," he drawled, bringing his arms behind his head.

"Right. Well, if you need anything, Kai tends to wander the halls until late, so just ask him. The kitchen and dining room are on the ground floor. Anna and I sometimes have breakfast together, so if you want to join us…" Kristoff looked at her, an understanding sort of smile on his face.

"Nah, I'm not a big breakfast person," he said. It was a lie, but he knew Anna cherished those mornings where she was up early enough and Elsa was up late enough that they could eat together. The redhead had told him that early in the day and late at night seemed to be the only times Elsa was really herself. Like the rest of the kingdom wasn't watching her every move. The ice harvester didn't want to impose on that.

"Alright, well, I'll be leaving early tomorrow, but I should be back by midday, if-" she'd wanted to say 'if Karl doesn't try to sink us', but the words caught in her throat, so she simply stopped talking. Kristoff just gave her a tight smile. "See you at midday then, I guess." Elsa nodded, leaving the chambers.

The queen had returned from her meeting with the commander to find Kristoff and her sister sitting on the grass, sharing an early dinner of sandwiches and lingonberry tart they'd pilfered from the kitchen. Kristoff had a horrified look on his face as he stared at the sandwich Anna was daring him to eat, a particularly unappetising-looking combination of lutefisk, cloudberries and assorted cheeses piled between two pieces of rye bread, some kind of condiment spilling out the side.

Elsa was glad to see the younger girl hadn't laid into the ice harvester for spilling the beans to her older sister, but she secretly wondered whether that sandwich wasn't her way of scolding him.

Her relief turned to mild fear when the redhead spotted her, jumping up from her position on the ground, eyes narrowed, and stalking towards her.

Elsa took a step backwards as the younger girl raised her arm, sandwich still in her grip, and held her hands up. "_Anna_," she warned, "Don't. You. _Dare_."

It was no use. The blonde felt soggy bread land on her cheek, the other fillings littering the grass beneath her. She stared at her sister in disbelief. Anna was undeterred by her expression.

"Where the _hell_ have you been?" She threw an arm behind her to gesture vaguely in Kristoff's direction. "He wouldn't tell me anything other than the fact that you knew about Prince Karl," she turned to glare at the ice harvester, seemingly remembering his part in this, "which, I wonder how she found _that_ out?" Turning back to her sister, she continued her tirade, as Elsa peeled the rye off of her face, dumping it on the grass with the rest of the sandwich. "I _know_ you were off doing something dangerous, or planning for something dangerous, anyway." A beat, and the redhead's face softened, as she added, "I was worried, Elsa. You didn't even say goodbye."

The blonde looked apologetically at the younger girl. "I was only going to be gone for an hour at most. I didn't want to worry you."

"But _I_ didn't know that," her sister said in a strangled voice. Then, barely audible, "I didn't even know if you were coming back at all."

Elsa kissed her forehead. "Hey, I'll _always_ come back, okay? That's a promise."

Anna almost looked convinced. "Okay..." Then she crinkled her nose. "You smell like a sandwich." The blonde just looked at her with playful irritation.

Having explained the outcome of her meeting with the commander to the pair, Elsa decided to retire to the castle for the rest of the evening. The three of them walked to the entrance together, before Kristoff had stopped outside the heavy doors.

"Uh, good night, I guess," he'd said, shuffling awkwardly. Anna took his hand and looked at her sister with an expression that the blonde knew she had absolutely no hope of resisting.

"Elsa…since Karl is- well, since he's not going to be using the guest chambers any more, can Kristoff maybe use them? Just for tonight?" She fidgeted, and the queen felt a twinge of jealousy in her chest. "I'm just worried he might not be safe. Karl knows he's my friend, so…" she finished lamely. Guilt replaced the jealousy. Again, her younger sister was just looking out for someone other than herself, and the blonde had almost wanted to say no out of pettiness. It was enough to force her to acquiesce.

Now, she was simply ready to forget Kristoff and Karl and Halvor and god knows whoever else she'd thought about today, and focus on the one person that truly mattered.

Pushing open the door to her own chambers, she found her sister already curled under the covers, waiting on the blonde. Elsa didn't bother changing, simply removing her dress and letting the slip she was wearing underneath double as nightclothes.

Getting into the bed alongside Anna, she leaned down to kiss the girl on the temple, the redhead crawling into her arms to bury her face into the queen's chest.

"That sandwich was delicious, by the way," the older girl joked, feeling the vibration of her sister's laughter in her chest. "Maybe more cloudberries next time though. Those things are great." She felt Anna smack her shoulder playfully, giggling. The blonde just smiled.

She felt her sister shift, and looked down to see the redhead staring up at her with a sudden worry in her eyes. "You'll be careful tomorrow, won't you?" The queen knew Anna wasn't just referring to her safety. "He's an evil man, Elsa, and he knows exactly how to get under people's skin. He could make you really angry…" she didn't have to finish her sentence to know what the younger girl was trying to say.

The blonde moved a hand to tangle in her sister's locks, scratching her scalp gently. "I won't hurt anyone, Anna. I promise. And I'll come back to you. I already promised you that."

The younger girl nodded, already feeling the tendrils of sleep closing around her from Elsa's fingers moving gently in her hair.

"I'll fix this, Anna," the blonde said softly. "I just need you to believe I can, alright?"

But the redhead had already drifted off.


	13. Test The Limits

"Prince Karl! Sir!" the quartermaster rushed down the deck of the ship from his earlier position on the bow, spyglass in one hand, looking anxious.

The prince watched the man almost stumble over a crew member scrubbing the deck and rolled his eyes. If he could have sailed the ship by himself, he most certainly would have preferred to do so. His crew were nothing short of pure imbeciles. "What?" he drawled.

The man in front of him tried to talk whilst gasping for air. "You need to see this! There are four ships headed towards this island, and I think they're flying Arendelle's flags!"

Karl sighed, "You think? Or you know? Come on, man, it's not that hard. Those fools chose colours gaudier than my mother's lipstick."

The man in front of him fidgeted, not sure how to respond. "Oh for heaven's sake, give me that." The prince snatched the spyglass out of the man's hand, stalking towards the bow of his ship. "Disgusting," he muttered, looking at the smudges on the lens of the object he held, trying to wipe them away with a handkerchief he pulled from his breast pocket.

Reaching his destination, the prince held the spyglass up to his eye, peering down its length.

After a moment, he chuckled. "Good lord. Those fools actually think they have a navy." He spotted the queen standing next to a huge brute at the centre of the largest ship, before moving the spyglass to read the name painted on its side.

"_Valkyrie_," he spat. "'Chooser of the slain'." He lowered the spyglass. "How fitting. You will decide who lives and who dies in this, my dear queen."

His musings were interrupted by the quartermaster. "Shall I give the order to fire, sir? We could sink them before they even knew we were here."

The prince shook his head, still gazing out at the meagre fleet. "No, they already know we're here." Turning to the quartermaster, he continued. "They're flying a white signal flag."

"They're…they're surrendering already?" The quartermaster sounded almost disappointed.

The prince huffed. "No, you buffoon! Didn't they teach you anything about signal flags in that pathetic excuse for training they give you? They want to negotiate. Peacefully." Striding to starboard railing, he barked to his crew. "Gentlemen! Ready about! We're going to talk to the queen."

* * *

Elsa stood in the middle of the _Valkyrie_ beside Halvor, grinding her teeth, heart threatening to beat out of her chest. Her fists were balled by her side, and the commander was aware that the slight chill he felt was not solely due to the wind.

He leaned towards the queen as inconspicuously as possible. "I have men below manning the cannons if needed. When we engage with the prince, I will remain by the wheel with the quartermaster. But you need only call my name, and I will be at your side in an instant."

Elsa looked sidelong at Halvor, grateful for his promise of assistance. "Thank you, commander," she said, in earnest. The man stood upright again, and took a step backwards as the prince's ship rounded the small islet before them.

Staring out at it with hard eyes, she felt every fibre of her being sing for Karl's blood. Flashes of Anna's injured face and skittish behaviour caused the wind around the ships to pick up, the few crew members left on the top deck to adjust the sails shuddering at the sudden drop in temperature.

Elsa fought to keep her powers under control. A single show of aggression and this would be over before it even began. She inhaled deeply, remembering her promise to her sister.

"Vessel off the larboard bow!" she heard a man cry, and the deck became a flurry of movement as the crew brought the ship to a stop alongside Karl's. He was standing at the railing, grinning wickedly.

"Good morning, Queen Elsa." His voice dripped with thinly-veiled contempt. "Taking your men for a quick swim?"

The threat did not go unnoticed by her. "They're not much for swimming, I'm afraid," she countered, "and neither am I."

"Then perhaps you'd best turn around and return to land," the prince shot back.

Elsa smirked. She could tell that her show of defiance was beginning to unsettle the man before her.

"No," she began, "I don't think I shall."

The prince bared his teeth. "Are you sure that's a wise decision, Elsa?" he questioned, dropping her title in an attempt to assert dominance. "I wouldn't want to have to _force_ you."

Elsa dropped all pretense. "You _won't_ force me to do anything, Karl. You're not willing gamble your decisive advantage on a meaningless naval battle." She grew angry. "Did you _really_ think that threatening my sister was going to keep me subdued?"

To her surprise, the prince grinned. She'd obviously not bothered him as much as she thought. "Of course not. In fact, I hoped for just the opposite." He leered at her. "I've only heard _stories_ of your power, Elsa. I've been told that its destructive capabilities are a thing of beauty. I was rather hoping I'd get to see them for myself."

Elsa furrowed her brow, fury beginning to rise in her chest. The prince was barely short of crazy. Was he was so obsessed with her power that he was willing to kill a thousand people and risk the lives of a thousand more just to see it?

"Aren't you going to give us a demonstration?" He asked, leaning forwards, like he could almost taste the angry frost creeping from her hands.

And then she understood. Karl was calling her bluff.

She was almost in awe of how the prince had played her. He'd accounted for everything. By telling Anna that her sister had killed, he'd forced the two of them to discuss it, knowing that it would end with the older girl more determined than ever not to hurt anyone, including him. As a result, he _knew_ the queen would show up to negotiate instead of attack, bringing her military as a display of pride, but at the same time giving Karl a complete picture of the true limitations of Arendelle's defence.

A synapse fired, and she saw the man kissing her sister in her mind's eye. To top it all off, since the moment he'd arrived, the prince had been chipping away at the walls Elsa had put up around her heart, exposing to him the depth of the love she felt for Anna. And once he'd found his opening, he'd driven the knife in deep, assaulting the younger girl and leaving her to be crushed under the weight of the silence the she had been forced to keep.

His one goal had been to throw Elsa off-kilter just enough that she wouldn't notice the figurative noose he was tightening around her neck. Now that she was inches away from being strangled, he was simply toying with her for his own amusement. The man was a pure sociopath of the most dangerous kind. Rich, highly intelligent and with unlimited resources, Elsa was even _less_ sure that she could match him now than she had been before.

She glowered at the prince, trying to bury her fear. "I'm not giving you _anything_, Karl," she spat. "I'm only here to demand you leave my waters. Right now."

"And if I don't?" the prince sneered. "What are you going to do then?"

Elsa didn't know. And so she stayed silent, glaring at Karl.

Suddenly, realisation dawned on the prince's face. "Ah, I see it now. You _want_ to crush me, but you _can't_." He tapped a finger to his chin, pretending to be deep in thought. "Why is that, I wonder? It couldn't be…no. I mean, it couldn't possibly be because of your sister, could it?" He smirked.

The queen growled, jabbing a finger in the man's direction. "Leave her out of this."

Karl laughed. "Leave her out of it? My dear, Anna plays the biggest part! Honestly, I should probably be grateful to her. She's the reason I'm still standing here and not encased in ice on the bottom of the seabed."

His constant references to the younger girl were quickly draining Elsa of all her self-control. "You should be grateful I don't slay you where you _stand_ for the way you touched her!" The words were out before she could stop them.

The prince made a disgusting noise of satisfaction. "Oh, _yes_! There it is! That _bloodlust_!" He gripped the railing of his ship in an insane kind of glee. "I always _knew_ she'd be the _real_ trigger!"

Elsa's head was spinning as the prince continued. "I'll still put your kingdom in a vice and squeeze the life out of it for my own pleasure," his tone grew serious, "but you've showed me your greatest weakness, Elsa. And it will be your downfall."

He looked towards Halvor. "Tell me, does your commander know how _close_ you and your sister are?"

The queen's stomach dropped. She turned to glance at the burly man behind her. He didn't speak, but looked at her with questioning eyes. She whipped back around to face Karl.

"Stop talking, you _bastard_," she seethed, but the prince continued.

"I mean, I don't blame you. She's a beautiful woman." Elsa's vision was almost blurry with anger. Or were those tears? "So young, and with such a stunningly lithe body." He smiled lecherously. "I think she might be a bit of an exhibitionist, though. I mean, the _number_ of times I walked past her chambers to find her undressing with her door ajar!" He scoffed with false incredulity. "Can you _believe_ it?"

Elsa's stomach heaved and she wanted to hurl overboard. She had to stop the foul man from describing every detail of Anna's body to the hundreds of men that they had between them on the five ships. But she couldn't breathe. He'd found her Achilles heel and was flaying it mercilessly.

"And _then_ she had the gall to pretend she didn't _enjoy_ it when I tried to give her what she obviously wanted from me, ungrateful little slu-"

"_ENOUGH_!" A booming voice came from the wheel of the _Valkyrie_, before Halvor strode to block the prince's view of Elsa. He glared at the man. "We offered you a chance to leave peacefully, Prince Karl, but it appears you've rejected that suggestion. So you can remain here as long as you wish, but know this: as soon as you, or any of your men, set one foot back in Arendelle, we will consider it an act of war, and retaliate accordingly. Do I make myself clear?"

Karl smiled. "Crystal."

"Good." The commander turned to face the deck of the _Valkyrie_. "Full sails, men! We're finished here!" Putting a hand on Elsa's shoulder he guided her away from the prince, back towards the helm.

When he was sure the prince wouldn't hear him over the din of billowing sails and crew shouting, he spoke to the girl. "He may not be gone, my queen, but he _will_ think twice about setting foot in Arendelle again."

Elsa wasn't convinced.

* * *

Anna had almost collapsed with relief when she saw the _Valkyrie_ sail back into port. She'd been waiting by the docks since her sister's departure, listening for cannon fire or any other indication of the state of the negotiations.

She hadn't known how to react, however, when Elsa, having just disembarked, swept the younger girl into her arms in front of a ship full of men, pressing a face into her shoulder and repeating, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," over and over. So Anna had simply placed a hand against the back of her sister's head, kissed her cheek and whispered into her ear.

"I know. It's okay. Whatever it is, it's okay." But Elsa had just shaken her head, not explaining a thing. Anna could only guess at how badly the hostile meeting had gone when her sister had locked herself in the study for the rest of the day.

Midnight found the younger girl wandering the halls. She'd dozed off in the queen's chambers – the room now as much hers as it was Elsa's – but she awoke from a restless sleep to find her sister had still not come to bed.

She headed for the study, passing the guest chambers, a heavily snoring Kristoff a reminder that for one reason or another, the queen had insisted he stay indefinitely. Anna figured it was her older sister's protective streak shining through. Two bodyguards were obviously better than one in the girl's mind.

Rounding the corner, she heard a muffled crash from the direction of the picture room. She tried not to panic. Surely that was only Elsa? There was no way Karl would be suicidal enough to send someone to try and capture the queen in the middle of the night, on her turf, no less. Not after all that planning. Still, Anna hurried to the nearby door, pushing it open as stealthily as possible, trying to get the advantage of surprise over whoever was inside.

She faltered at the sight of what lay before her. She'd been prepared for an intruder of some sort, but definitely not – whatever this was.

It looked like hell had frozen over and risen from beneath the earth to localise itself entirely within this particular part of the castle. The walls were covered in terrifying frost, all twisted spikes and sharp points. Shards of ice were embedded in the floor and ceiling, as if a frozen star had suddenly exploded in the middle of the space before her. Various paintings were shredded, nightmarishly warped faces staring at others that lay like tortured bodies impaled on the spikes of the floor of the room.

And at the far end stood her sister, who suddenly hurled a bright blue spear at the painting she was standing under – a portrait of their father.

The spear embedded itself into one of the medals on his chest, as Elsa screamed at the canvas. "You stupid, _stupid_ man! You were supposed to keep this kingdom _safe!_" She hurled another spear, this one striking the king's crown. "You were supposed to keep it _strong_! Make sure it had ships and men to _guard_ it!" She threw a fist towards the painting, a bolt of frost smashing into the man's chest. "I can't defend it on my own!"

She lashed out at the table in front of her, sweeping the royal orb and sceptre off of its surface, a clang echoing off the icy walls as they hit the floor. Falling to her knees with a strangled sob, she looked up at the portrait again, voice breaking. "I'm not _strong _enough. You left me to protect an entire kingdom when I can't even protect my own _sister_, Papa." She slammed a fist into the ground, snow billowing from the point of impact.

Anna was transfixed by the scene in front of her, unwilling to interrupt her sister's private moment with their father. She knew the older girl struggled with having so much responsibility piled on her at such a young age, but the notion that she blamed Arendelle's former king for it was something the she had never even considered until now.

She realised abruptly that it was ridiculous of her to think that after so many years of knowing almost nothing about the older girl, Anna could discover all there was to her sister within a month. Elsa was the most complicated person she knew, a deepness to her that may have made her daunting to others, but just attracted Anna to her sister even more.

Elsa's voice came again, pleading now. "You left me with no advice other than 'don't feel', but what if I _do_ feel? What am I supposed to do then?" She looked back at the unmoving image, tears beginning their descent down her pale cheeks. "What I feel for Anna…it breaks me and builds me at the same time, Papa, and I don't know how to make it my strength and not my weakness. You left without telling me how to do that. You left without making sure I _could_."

The queen brushed her tears away with a shaky hand, staring at the ceiling as if she were looking to the heavens. "Why did you leave me?" she whispered, heartbreakingly. "Did I do something wrong?"

There was no answer.

"Why did you _leave _me?!" Yelling now. Another bolt of frost, and the painting crashed to the floor. "I needed you!"

A beat. Then a final, agonised whisper. "…I _still_ need you."

With an almost inhuman howl of pain, Elsa crumpled, curling into herself, heaving with sobs.

Anna tried to swallow the lump in her throat, but still she couldn't bring herself to go to the clearly hurting queen. Her sister was raw and open, having completely bared her soul to an inanimate likeness of her father, and the younger girl found that even though she desperately wanted to, the moment was too intimate even for her to intrude on.

So with every part of her crying out, telling her to stay, she closed the door to the picture room, and walked back down the hall to wait for the older girl in her chambers.


	14. Stronger Than One, Stronger Than Ten

Anna's eyes snapped open.

Something had woken her. She tilted her head to the side to look out at the sky. It was still dark, silver shafts of moonlight were filtering in through the window.

"It's just me," came a whisper from next to the bed. "I'm sorry I woke you."

Anna had no idea how late it was, but considering how long she'd been tossing and turning before finally succumbing to sleep, she guessed that Elsa had stayed in the picture room for at least another couple of hours. Doing what, Anna didn't know, but she wasn't going to ask.

She felt her sister slide into the bed next to her, pressing herself into the younger girl's side, nudging her chin with a cold nose. Anna recognised it as a wordless appeal for comfort, so she turned, gathering the girl into her arms and holding her tightly. She felt Elsa's wet lashes against her cheek and the queen's breath on her neck as the older girl spoke, voice hoarse from her emotional tirade.

"How much do you remember of our parents, Anna?" She rasped.

The younger girl knew where the question had come from, but tried to pretend she didn't. "I remember a lot of things, I guess. Why do you ask?"

Elsa didn't respond immediately, choosing to let silence settle over them instead. After several minutes, Anna almost thought she'd regretted asking the question, when her sister's voice came again.

"Do you remember what mother was like?" Anna was becoming rather confused.

"Well, yes, I suppose so," she replied, waiting for her to elaborate. When no explanation was forthcoming, she decided to just continue with whatever came to her mind. "She was quiet. And kind…oh, and she loved chess!" Anna chuckled softly. "I remember her trying to teach me when I was younger, but I never had the patience for more than four or five moves. Most of the time I'd just snatch the little horse ones – what are they called – the _knights_ off of the board and play with them instead." She moved a hand to lightly rub her sister's back, adding, "I feel like there's another question here that you're not asking."

She felt Elsa shrug under her palm. The display of aloofness was soon contradicted by a third question. "Do you remember how she smelled?"

Anna felt a tug at her heart, and she hesitated before answering the older girl. "Honestly? Not anymore. I mean, for a while after-" She inhaled shakily. "for a while after their funeral, I'd lie in bed at night and run through everything I could remember about them. The way mother's eyes crinkled when she smiled. The lilt in her voice when she read me my favourite story. How strong father was but how gentle his hands were." She paused, wholly unprepared for the sudden pang of loss that shot through her. "But months passed, and I found I could no longer remember the exact colour of her eyes without looking at a picture, or the smell of his cologne without visiting his study. And I panicked, because I thought I was forgetting them." She blinked a few unshed tears away. "It took me a very long time to come to terms with that. It felt like I was losing them all over again."

Elsa began to play with a loose thread on the redhead's nightgown. "I'm sorry you had to go through that alone."

The younger girl shook her head, "I didn't. Not really. Although I couldn't see you, I knew you were going through the same thing. And so all those times I sat on the other side of your door, even if you didn't say anything, I just- I didn't feel so lost. Because someone else understood."

Her sister made a noise that Anna couldn't decipher. "I don't think I did. Understand, I mean," the queen admitted. The younger girl furrowed her brow, waiting for her to clarify what she meant. "What you said before, about forgetting things after the funeral. I never felt that."

The queen shifted nervously. "I lost my parents when I was seven. When they died eleven years later…I didn't remember enough about them in the first place to really forget anything."

Elsa's words were hitting her with all the gentleness of a charging reindeer. Just like the epiphany she'd had watching the queen unleash her fury in the picture room, Anna realised that there was so much she still had left to learn about her sister. About the childhood that she spent locked in her room.

"I was so afraid of hurting them like I hurt you, that I just pushed them away," the older girl continued. "The time we did spend together was filled with father trying to give me advice and mother just staring at me with sorrow in her eyes." She exhaled sadly. "I didn't want to go to their funeral, because without seeing their graves, I could just pretend that they hadn't really died. That they'd just…stopped visiting because he had run out of advice and she could no longer look at me." Elsa moved a hand over her sister's chest, clenching it into a fist. "Sometimes I get so angry at them for not trying harder to find a way to fix me. And other times I miss them so much it tears my soul to pieces."

Anna wanted to say something, anything that would convey how sorry she was that her sister had never properly grieved for their parents. That she never got a chance to see them as the doting mother and father she remembered them as. But all she could come up with was "I miss them too."

The blonde's reply was an unclenching of her fist as she sighed, kissing Anna's temple before settling into her side again, closing her eyes and attempting to escape into sleep. The younger girl watched her sister for a few moments before trying to do the same.

* * *

Morning came too early for either girl, rays of sun illuminating the room seemingly mere minutes after the two had finally drifted off. No words were exchanged as they dressed, but Elsa was particularly affectionate, stealing several sweet kisses, as if she were trying to commit the feel of Anna's lips to her memory.

Finding Kristoff in the dining room, already halfway through breakfast, Elsa let him and her sister do the talking as she silently filled a plate.

"I have to make a delivery to Oaken today," he began, grimacing. "Guy needs ice for some bizarre cool room he's got up there. Guess he found the sauna less profitable now that our crazy winter's over." Looking at Anna, he asked, "You want to come along?"

The girl smirked. "Why? Are you afraid he'll throw you ten feet in the air again if I'm not there to protect you?"

"No," the man huffed. "Besides, you were there last time, and he still threw me out. And it was only two feet. At most."

"That was hilarious!" Anna said, laughing. "Alright, you've convinced me. I'll tag along. I really want to see what Oaken has up his sleeve for you this time."

Kristoff shot a playful glare at the younger girl. "He'd better not have anything up his sleeve if he wants that ice I'm bring-"

_Boom_

A muffled explosion cut him off. The ice harvester dropped his knife and it clattered to the floor. Elsa's head snapped up to find her sister looking at her in alarm.

"What the _hell _was that?" Anna blurted out.

The queen shook her head. "I don't-"

_Boom_

The noise came again.

Elsa's eyes went wide. "Oh no…"

She leapt up from the table, chair falling backwards and crashing onto the floor, and flew out of the dining room to the castle's entrance hall.

"No no no no _no_! _Fuck_!"

Anna raced after her, Kristoff in tow. "Elsa! Wait!" She yelled.

The queen just kept running, throwing the front doors open, heading for the docks.

"What's happening?!" The younger girl tried again. "Where are you-" she was stopped in her tracks by the sight before her, Kristoff skidding to a halt nearby.

The inlet that led to Arendelle's port was a war zone. Cannon smoke clouded the air as ships circled around each other, wooden debris already littering the water.

_BOOM _

The huge frigate from the Southern Isles fired its broadside cannons in a deafening chorus, splintering the hull of a brig flying Arendelle's flag. She watched in horror as the brig tried to ram the frigate, only to find itself of the receiving end of a devastating barrage of chain shots from Karl's ship, and its masts collapsed.

Anna's hand flew to her mouth. "Oh my god," she breathed. She heard Kristoff swear under his breath.

And Elsa's destination suddenly became clear.

Panicking, she started running again, desperately trying to catch up to her sister. "Elsa! _Elsa_! Stop! You can't go out there!"

The queen slowed, whipping around to point a finger at Anna, but with her gaze fixed intently on Kristoff.

"Get her somewhere safe!" She yelled. "_Now_!"

The younger girl felt the ice harvester take her hand, tugging her in the direction of his home. "Come on, Anna. We're getting a head start on our trip to Oaken's."

But Anna didn't hear him, her gaze fixed on Elsa's retreating form boarding the _Valkyrie_, yelling at the commander to mobilise the ship. She pulled her arm from Kristoff's grip, starting after the girl once more. "Goddammit, Elsa! Don't do this!"

She only made it halfway down the dock that ran alongside the brig before she felt the ice harvester grab her around the waist, trying to drag her in the other direction. Terror was clouding her mind. She heard the man grunt as one of her elbows collided with his ribs, but he held fast. "Let _go_ of me!" She cried.

Then, with a gut-wrenching scream, she called her sister's name one last time.

"_ELSA_!"

The older girl finally looked back at her, and Anna saw the intense fire of both determination and regret in her face as she mouthed a silent apology.

"No…" The word tumbled from her mouth as she slumped against Kristoff, watching in disbelief as her sister sailed into the deadly fray.

* * *

Elsa raced towards the helm, dodging frantic crew members as they yanked at cordage or rolled barrels of gunpowder across the deck.

"Commander!" She yelled, "What's going on?!"

Halvor looked terrified to see her on board. "My queen! You can't be here! It's too dangerous!"

Elsa reached his side, scowling at him. "The hell I can't! What do your men think they're _doing_ out there?!"

The commander knew he wouldn't win a battle of wills with the queen, so he yielded. "Our brigs returned from Trondheim earlier than we expected. I'd sent men over to the north this morning to warn them, but since the prince had blocked our sea route, they had to travel by sled." He shook his head. "Obviously they weren't fast enough. The brigs arrived just as Prince Karl was sinking a merchant ship headed for Arendelle, and they stupidly tried to defend it."

Elsa ground her teeth as she stared at the battling ships. "He's trying to force my hand." Turning to Halvor, she growled, "Get us out there _now_." The commander held her gaze for a moment, before looking ahead once again and pulling on the wheel, turning the _Valkyrie_ hard to port.

Arendelle's two brigs were being crushed under the sheer force of Karl's assault, one of them unable to move, its masts in fragments, drifting amongst the rest of the debris already in the water. The crew were trying to take cover against a withering volley of musket fire from the giant frigate, and the queen watched in horror as several of them were cut down in explosions of red. Bodies already littered the deck, and when Elsa witnessed one of the frigate's crew execute a clearly injured man who was clinging to a floating piece of wood, she snapped.

With a roar of uncontrollable fury, she let loose with a devastating eruption of ice, demolishing the entire starboard side of the giant vessel. Churning water quickly rushed inside the hull, the men inside scampering like rats from the powerful swell. The ship tilted under the weight of the onslaught, cannons pulled from their anchors and rolling towards the ragged hole, falling into the water and leaving huge geysers of white spray in their wake as they quickly sank out of sight.

The deck of the _Valkyrie_ lurched suddenly, throwing her off her feet, and she landed painfully on her side. Whipping her head back towards the bow, she saw one of Karl's brigs had just rammed their ship at full speed, shearing off the entire bowsprit, taking several of the crew with it. Throwing her hands out in front of her, she sent thousands of frosted shards in the direction of the brig's sails, ripping them to shreds and splintering the masts. Men jumped overboard to avoid the deadly blast, only to be forced to dodge the huge poles that came crashing down into the water behind them.

_BOOM_

The cannon fire was absolutely deafening now that Elsa was in the thick of combat. A second brig had approached the stern of the _Valkyrie_, round shot flying from its port side.

"Brace yourselves!" came Halvor's booming voice, not a second before an overwhelming storm of iron assaulted the ship. Slivers of wood flew into the air all around Elsa as she scrambled towards the rear of the vessel, conjuring a sheet of ice in front of her only just in time to block a particularly sharp fragment heading for her face. Adrenaline pumping through her veins, she barely gave the crude spear a second glance before throwing her hands out to send a torrent of snow and ice as close to the keel of the brig as she could manage.

The ship groaned as it surged out of the water, the sudden blast underneath it forcing it upwards. No longer balanced on the surface, it tipped to one side, men screaming as they were thrown off the deck and into the sea below. The brig's starboard side hit the water with a resounding splash, followed seconds later by its masts, which snapped like twigs on impact. Bizarrely lopsided, the ship began to sink as the sea mercilessly filled it, dragging it down into the murky depths.

"Incoming mortar fire!" yelled a man from the bow of the _Valkyrie_. Elsa's head snapped to the sky to see hundreds of flaming projectiles tracing a blazing arc from Karl's ship, before gravity took over and they began to fall at great speed towards her.

She launched a flurry of enormous hailstones towards the mortar shots, knocking several off their intended path. Slamming her hands together, she conjured a massive expanse of ice two hundred feet in the air above the deck, attempting to block the violent reckoning bearing down on the _Valkyrie_.

But the missiles just seared through her defence. Elsa's face changed from one of determination to one of astonishment as they kept coming, barely a hundred feet away now.

A huge weight threw itself into her side, and she went flying. Her stomach bottomed out as she realised she had gone over the railing, and the sea was rapidly rushing up to meet her. Hitting the water with incredible force, she barely had time to take a breath before she went under.

The subsurface world was terrifying. She couldn't see more than a foot in front of her, and churning water assaulted her from every side. An orange glow shone briefly before an almighty explosion reverberated in her ears, and thousands of pieces of flaming rubble littered the water above her.

Desperate for air, Elsa swam upwards, breaking the surface between two bits of burning wood. The _Valkyrie_ had been completely obliterated by the mortar fire, and the third brig was quickly approaching the wreckage. She moved to swim in the opposite direction, but a hand on her arm startled her.

It was Halvor.

"I'm so sorry, my queen. I had to get you off the ship," he apologised.

So it was the commander who'd slammed into her. He'd been trying to save her life.

Elsa could only shake her head. The impact of hitting the water had winded her terribly.

Halvor's voice was firm. "I need to get you out of here before they start murdering any survivors." Grabbing her around the waist, he instructed her to take a deep breath before diving below the surface.

His powerful strokes pulled them underneath the carnage that lay atop the water, which seemed to go on for miles. Bodies of the _Valkyrie's_ crew floated amongst the remains of ships, like some grotesque diorama of the crushing defeat they had suffered at Karl's hands.

Elsa's lungs began to burn, and bile was rising in the back of her throat. But Halvor kept swimming. She fought the urge to inhale.

Black spots danced at the edge of her vision, and just as she felt like she would pass out, the commander gave one last powerful kick, and they broke the surface. Elsa gasped for air, spluttering as Halvor coughed beside her. She'd had only a few moments to recover before he was pulling them towards the docks.

The commander heaved her up onto the closest pier, and Elsa fell to her hands and knees, Halvor pulling himself up after her. Water poured off the pair and quickly drenched the wood around them.

Weak, struggling to breathe and weighed down by her sodden clothing, Elsa was too spent to even feel the tiniest lick of fear when a chilling voice came from above them.

"I thought you didn't enjoy swimming."


	15. Stronger Than A Hundred Men

Prince Karl stood over Elsa and the commander, crossbow in one hand, the other on the hilt of his sword, surrounded by a mob of his crew. His ship was anchored two piers over, crew swarming over the docks, striking any unfortunate citizen that got in their way.

"Get the brute," he ordered his companions, nodding at Halvor.

Two men jumped the commander, one kicking his legs from under him, the other forcing a knee into his back. Halvor struggled feebly, his strength all but sapped.

Elsa tried to throw a bolt of ice at Karl, but she could barely breathe. Utterly exhausted from the swim and having taken out two colossal ships, she only succeeded in littering the wood around his feet with tiny flakes of snow.

Karl laughed. "Oh, don't tell me that's it? That's all you've got?" He kicked her in the jaw, not hard enough to break it, but definitely hard enough to hurt. She fell to the side, grunting in pain. "That display out on the water was admirable, Elsa," he crouched in front of her, "but I _know_ you were holding back." Sighing, he stood up again. "Still constrained by that misplaced sense of morality you insist on adhering to, I suppose. Too bad. I was really hoping for an excuse to get a couple of new crew members."

Elsa spat blood onto his boots. Karl's looked down at his feet. "Ugh, so crass. I thought you were above something like that." He pulled his handkerchief from its home in his breast pocket, opening his mouth to make what would ostensibly be another quip, when a scream came from behind him.

"_ELSA_!"

The queen's heart leapt into her throat and she panicked. What the hell was Anna doing here? Kristoff was supposed to have taken her as far away from Arendelle as possible.

Karl turned to face the noise, grinning. "Anna. How nice of you to join us." He nodded his head at the mustached dignitary he'd arrived with only weeks ago, and the man flew at Anna, grabbing her around the middle and holding a blade to her throat.

"Anna…" the older girl cried weakly.

A heavy boot collided with her ribs. "Get up," he spat. The humour in his tone had vanished. Elsa forced herself to her feet, her side screaming in agony, jaw throbbing. She looked at the prince with chilling hatred in her eyes.

"Let her go," she demanded of the man in front of her.

"You're in no position to make any requests, Elsa," he countered. "But _I_ am." He lifted the crossbow to his shoulder. "So let's discuss what _I_ want, shall we?"

Elsa growled at the man before her. "I already know what you want, Karl, and the answer is no. I refuse to become a part of your arsenal."

Anna cried out in pain as the knife was pushed deeper into her neck, a trickle of blood marring her freckled skin. Elsa lurched towards her, but Karl sidestepped to intercept her, crossbow pointed at her heart.

"Ah ah," he chastised. "I'm not finished. If you won't give me your obedience, then I want your kingdom instead."

The queen faltered. Karl had never shown an interest in Arendelle beyond threatening to starve it or destroy it, so what did he want with it now?

Elsa narrowed her eyes. "Why?"

"Does it matter why?" the prince sighed. "Really Elsa, I'm surprised at you. I thought you'd be smart enough to recognise a way out when you saw one."

She scoffed at the prince. "You're not offering me a way out, Karl. Only another form of surrender."

The prince rolled his eyes. "_Fine_. If you _must _know, I suppose I only want it because it's yours." Elsa's expression must have given away the bewilderment she felt. "You know, like when a child sees another child playing with a certain toy, suddenly all he can focus on is taking the toy for himself."

The queen furrowed her brow, losing patience with his cryptic explanation. "Are you likening yourself to a child?" she snapped.

He laughed. "Yes, I suppose I am. Granted, it's not my best analogy, but the meaning behind it is clear, no?" The prince bared his teeth in a sick grin. "Oh I'm sorry, I'd almost forgotten you weren't fortunate enough to play with other children in your youth." He watched as Elsa's eyes flicked to her sister, then back to him.

"Here, let me put it in words you can understand," the prince said, condescendingly. "_You_ are playing with this kingdom. Now, _I_ want to play with it. And if you don't give it to me, I would rather break it than watch you enjoy it for a moment longer. Do you see what I'm saying?"

Elsa did. With his men crawling throughout the kingdom, it would only be a matter of giving the order, and Karl could set Arendelle ablaze, slaughtering the people within.

"Give me the kingdom, and I'll let its people live, including you and your sister here." He smiled, exuding false sincerity. "I give you my _word_."

Anna's voice came loud and desperate. "Elsa, no! You can't give him Arendelle!"

"Quiet, girl!" The prince barked. "Let the queen make her own decision."

Completely drained, with their ships destroyed and her sister at his mercy, Elsa was helpless. She just wished she could create a distraction to let Anna escape-

_SHUNK_

A crossbow bolt slammed into her shoulder and she stumbled. Anna screamed her name.

_SHUNK_

A second bolt embedded itself below the first. She felt a strange warmth spread over her as her muscles relaxed, and her mind became cloudy. Looking down at the bolts, she heard the prince laughing, some taunt about helping her decide falling from his mouth.

She turned her glazed eyes to her sister. Anna was crying.

"Elsa! Please don't let him do this!" she pleaded.

The queen had no choice. Let her people die or turn them over to Karl? Watch her sister murdered in front of her or submit? Either way she had failed them all, but in her submission, she might at least give them a chance to escape with their lives. She turned back to Karl, and inclined her head slightly, falling to one knee, completely spent.

"Fine. It is yours." Surrender.

The prince grinned, and affected an air of ridiculous self-importance, doing his best impression of a pompous king. "Then, as the new ruler of this pathetic kingdom, my first act will be to free these piteous people from living in the shadow of the fear you've cultivated here, monster!"

Elsa's head snapped up at his mockery, ready to verbally assault the man for undermining the seriousness of the situation with his derision, only to see him angle the crossbow at the middle of her forehead

Anna screamed "No! You gave us your word!"

Karl looked sidelong at the younger girl, a disgusting smile on his face. "My dear, I never keep my word."

He pulled the trigger.

The bolt grazed Elsa's ear as it sped past, barely breaking the skin. Karl had missed his mark.

The prince shrugged. "Oh dear. I suppose I should have practiced that shot a little more, hm?" He threw the crossbow to the pier, empty.

Elsa knew he'd never meant to hit her at all, and she growled, growing tired of Karl's games. "You have your kingdom, Karl. Let my sister go!"

The prince chuckled. "Did you not hear me just now, Elsa? I told you, I never keep my word." He turned to look at Anna. "Your sister just signed your death warrant with her surrender, girl. How does that _feel_?" He nodded at the man holding the blade to Anna's neck. "Slit her throat."

"Anna!" Elsa screamed, trying to make her body cooperate, but something was making it near impossible for her to move.

Then, from seemingly out of nowhere, a figure crashed into Anna's captor, and the pair went skidding across the pier in a tangle of limbs. The unknown saviour began to pummel the man beneath him, punctuating each word with a blow to his face.

"Don't!"

_THOCK_

"You!"

_THOCK_

"Touch!"

_THOCK_

"Her!"

Elsa's eyes widened, recognising the voice. "Kristoff?"

The pier burst into a flurry of motion. Halvor threw the two men off of him, socking one in the face, before Karl and another man ran at him, fists flying. Anna was stumbling towards her, calling her name, but Elsa was focussed on something else.

The older girl watched Kristoff struggling with the man beneath him, the dignitary clearly a better fighter despite the disadvantage of his current position. The ice harvester received a headbutt to the face, nose exploding in a shower of blood, and he fell backwards, dazed.

"No!" She yelled, and Anna's head whipped around, searching for what had caused Elsa's distressed shout.

Time slowed to a crawl. Both girls watched with horror as the mustached man raised his blade above a stunned Kristoff, before plunging it into his chest, driving it deep into the man's heart.

Anna let out a bloodcurdling cry. "_KRISTOFF_!" She scrambled towards him. A pool of blood was quickly spreading across the pier beneath his body.

Elsa had gathered the dredges of her strength a second too late, the blast of frost she'd released mere seconds ago hitting the dignitary square in the chest, throwing him off Kristoff and knocking him unconscious.

Anna collapsed at her friend's side, pressing her hands over the wound, desperately trying to staunch the blood that flowed like a thick river with each beat of his heart. "No no no! Kristoff! _Kristoff_!"

The man's head lolled to the side as he looked at Anna, face pale. "Anna…" he breathed.

The younger girl pressed a bloody palm to his cheek. "Shhh, it's okay. You're going to be alright. Just stay with me."

Kristoff breath came in shallow gasps. "Anna." He looked afraid. "Am I dying?"

A sob escaped the girl as she shook her head. "No. No, Kristoff, you're not dying. I won't let you die, okay?"

Tears were leaking from the man's eyes, leaving streaks through the blood on his face. "I'm scared, Anna. I don't want to die."

Anna was crying openly now. "You won't! You just have to keep your eyes open! Can you do that?"

The man below her was fading fast. Each blink became longer than the last, and his breathing slowed. "Kristoff! Don't you dare give up on me!"

Kristoff forced himself to look at the girl. "I'm sorry," he whispered. And he took a shuddering breath, letting his eyes slip shut once more.

Then he was gone.

Anna frantically tried to rouse him, gently patting his face, but it was no use. "Kristoff?" The man's body remained unmoving beneath her.

She slammed a fist onto his chest, as if she could startle him back to life. "No! _No_! You don't get to leave me!"

She moved her hand from the wound, grabbing a fistful of his shirt, shaking him. The overwhelming sorrow was starting to shatter her grip on reality. "Get _up_, Kristoff! We still have to make horseshoes for Sven, remember? You need to deliver that ice to Oaken!"

Still the man was motionless, but Anna wasn't finished. "You were going to teach me how to play the lute! And how to steer a sled!" She shook him again. "You wanted to learn how to dance, and I was going to show you! But if you don't get up…" she trailed off.

She leaned close to him, pushing his messy hair back, leaving streaks of blood on his forehead, searching his face for any sign of life. "Please don't go," she begged. "I need you, Kristoff. I need you to show me what kind of carrots to feed Sven, and how to brush him the way he likes. I need you to cheer me up when I start to miss my parents or when Elsa and I fight." She dropped her face into his chest. "I need you to tell me that things will be okay even when I think they won't. I need you here. With me." And then she broke, weeping for her fallen friend, gut-wrenching sobs wracking her tiny frame.

Elsa could only watch as her sister grieved. She lay supine on the pier, her limbs no longer responding, a lead weight settling in her heart. Breathing became difficult.

She was utterly helpless to warn her sister as Karl came up behind the younger girl, having finally subdued Halvor with a mighty right hook to his jaw. Snatching her from her position beside Kristoff, he threw an arm around her neck, the other pinning her arms to her sides before he dragged her towards the castle. Anna lashed out at her abductor, screaming for Kristoff at the top of her lungs.

Elsa's vision became blurry as she struggled to inhale. A boot blocked her view of Karl hauling her sister away, and she blacked out.


	16. Cut To The Heart

**A/N**: Hey so fair warning, this chapter is pretty fucking dark (tw: rape and torture, guys) – and I'm aware many of you might deem it unnecessarily so – but it serves an important purpose to the story. If you still have to be productive today, I suggest you postpone reading this until you have the privacy to curl up into a little ball afterwards and cry or whatever.

* * *

The stone was cool and rough against her cheek. Musty air filled her nose as she inhaled, struggling to open her eyes. Everything felt…heavy. She tried to move an arm. Something clinked, holding it back. She forced her eyelids apart to look down.

Her hands were encased in strange-looking metal, not unlike the restraints Hans had used. But these were shinier. Newer, somehow. Thick chains held them to the ground, along with the manacles around her ankles. Solid stone walls surrounded her, and the room was dim. A small candle sconce beyond a set of bars that made up the fourth wall of her prison was the only source of light.

Her shoulder was throbbing. The bolts had been removed, but a blood-red stain remained on her dress. She tried to stand up, but the chains were short, and she only made it to her knees before they dragged her down again. Frustrated, she let loose a burst of frost, trying to make the metal brittle enough to smash against the stone. With a resounding clang, the drove the shackles into the ground.

They remained steadfastly on her hands.

Bringing her arms up again, ready to strike the metal against the stone once more, she was stopped by Karl's voice.

"I wouldn't do that, if I were you," he drawled.

Elsa's head shot up, glaring at the prince, who was standing outside her tiny cell. The candle flame flickered with the gust of wind he'd created upon his arrival, the light dancing over his face, making him look positively demonic.

Anger exploded in her. "You son of a _bitch_!" she shouted. "You _murdered_ Kristoff!"

Karl pointed a finger at himself, feigning hurt. "Me? I did no such thing, Elsa. I was too busy trying to subdue that giant oaf of a commander." He smirked. "But I can bring you the man who _did_ kill him, if you'd like to get your revenge? Bearing in mind you already did quite a number on the poor chap." Shrugging, he started pacing outside the cell. "It seems rather unfair though. I mean, if your foolish dunce of a friend had used his tiny brain to think before-"

"_Don't_ you talk about him like that! You have _no right_ to talk about him!" Elsa smashed the ground with her covered hands again. Still they remained trapped.

"Clobbering things isn't always the answer, dear," the prince taunted. "Sometimes you need to put a little bit of thought into your actions."

The queen just scowled at him.

"Take these restraints, for example," he gestured to the chains holding her down. "Now, I _could_ have just used the old irons I found here, but…well, we all saw what happened to my brother when he tried that, right?"

Elsa blinked. They were in the castle prison. She'd been too focussed on getting free to realise, but now that Karl had mentioned it-

He interrupted her thought process. "So I thought I'd bring a bit of Southern Isles cheer to decorate my new home, starting with this awful, awful dungeon." He grinned, "See, these cuffs are made from aluminium. It's a relatively new thing, so I don't expect you've heard of it. My dear old friend Ørsted came up with it." Karl waved a hand, "Anyway, that's not the interesting part. The _interesting_ part, is that aluminium actually becomes _stronger_ when it gets cold." He looked at her expectantly, as if he was waiting for her to praise his superior intellect.

Elsa just let loose with another blast, but the unusual handcuffs still didn't budge.

Karl rolled his eyes. "You're not _listening_ to me, Elsa," he sneered. "You can't escape these. You can try all you like, but you'll only succeed in wearing yourself out." Karl narrowed his eyes. "Also, I find the clanking of chains rather annoying. So if you don't cut it out, I'll just have to drug you again, alright?"

So that's what was making her so groggy. Karl had dosed her with some kind of narcotic. She stilled herself, unwilling to let him take her lucidity away again.

Karl nodded with approval. "That's better. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to attend to my other guest."

* * *

Anna was terrified. Her grief over Kristoff's brutal murder had dulled the fear in her gut for a time, but now that she had fully comprehended her situation, she was starting to panic.

Karl had dragged her from the docks, ordering his crew to take the castle as he manhandled her down to the dungeons and pushed her into a cell, before moving out of sight and barking at two men. Anna had caught a glimpse of her sister as her motionless form was carried to a cell nearby, before being thrown roughly inside. Moments later, she heard the clink of someone carrying metal chains, but the prince had returned with only a length of rope.

Expecting to simply be tied up as he bound her ankles, she found herself growing anxious as Karl had looped the rope through an iron ring in the ceiling. Dread had filled her when he forced her up, wrapping the rope around her wrists above her head and yanking the loose end until she hung like a grotesque marionette from the roof of the cell, feet barely touching the floor.

He'd disappeared when a muffled clang came from the other side of the dungeon, leaving Anna to imagine all manner of horrifying things that might await her.

Now, the prince stood in front of her cell with another brute, the latter with a cat o' nine tails hanging from his belt. Anna began to struggle against her bonds when she noticed the man was also holding a branding iron, the end glowing a nasty orange.

"No no no!" Anna desperately tried to pull her hands free. "Please don't hurt me with that! _Please_!"

Karl just gave her a wicked smile, turning to the man next to him. "Don't stop until I tell you to," he ordered. Then, looking back at Anna, "I hope your sister gives herself over to me as easily as she handed over her kingdom." He winked. "For your sake."

* * *

The first of her sister's screams almost ripped Elsa in half. The noise was otherworldly, like nothing she had ever heard before. It left her ears ringing.

"_Anna!_" she hollered, straining against aluminium chains. Karl stood on the other side of the bars, expressionless. She fixed him with an icy stare, growling out, "What are you doing to her, you _monster_!"

Karl said nothing. She wouldn't have heard him over the second scream anyway.

"_ELS-Ahhhhh_!" came her sister's voice, trying to call the older girl's name but devolving into a cry of pain halfway through.

Elsa was overcome by rage. "_GET AWAY FROM HER_!" she yelled at the invisible threat that was making Anna howl with such fierce agony. Yanking the chains wildly, she roared in frustration, unable to get to the girl.

Karl finally spoke, "You can end this, Elsa. Just join me. Let me help you direct that rage towards people who deserve it."

Elsa snarled at him. "_You're_ the one who deserves my rage, you bastard! I'll kill you!"

The prince gave her a disdainful smile. "No you won't." He pointed at the chains, "You don't have your hands, remember?"

The queen jerked against the cuffs, before slamming them into the ground repeatedly, yelling furiously. "Let! Her! _GO!_"

Karl barely managed to get away from the cage in time to avoid the massive blast of ice. Shards of it flew between the bars, embedding themselves in the wall opposite, as well as the three sides of the cell that made up Elsa's prison.

Peering around the corner he'd jumped behind, he stared at Elsa in wonder. "Well _that_ was new," he remarked. "And utterly _glorious_! You're a lot stronger than you realise, Elsa." He pushed his face into the bars. "And together, we would be _unstoppable_."

Elsa ground her teeth, saying nothing.

_CRACK_

The snap of a whip against skin broke the temporary silence.

"_Ahh_!" Anna's shrill cries of torment came again. Then she was begging, "Elsa, _please_!"

The older girl was blind with fury, stomach churning with the knowledge that she was utterly helpless to protect her sister from the torture being inflicted on her.

"Can you hear that? She's callingout for you, Elsa. Just _desperate_ for you to save her," the prince jeered. "Are you just going to let her suffer? After _you_ got her into this mess?"

"Anna! _Anna_!" Elsa was frantic, hyperventilating as she yelled the younger girl's name. "You leave my sister alone! You leave her the _fuck_ alone!"

_CRACK_

More screaming. "Her death will be on your hands, Elsa-"

_CRACK_

"-just like the death of that Kristoff fellow you were so fond of-"

_CRACK_

"-and let's not forget your parents. They were so desperate to get away from you they chose to sail right into their own demise."

_CRACK_

The screaming had stopped. Elsa heard only sobs from the corner in which Anna was experiencing her very own hell.

Then a broken whimper, "Mama…help me, please!"

Karl's quirked an eyebrow. "Seems she's hallucinating already." He gave a disappointed grunt. "I was hoping to get at least a few more minutes of her screaming for you before she started crying out for her parents."

Elsa didn't know if she could have lasted another few _seconds_ of hearing Anna's cries. She'd never felt more pain in her entire life. It was tearing her heart to pieces and filling her with an uncomfortable pressure that was disorientating.

The prince kept talking over the sobs. "Shame, really. My men and I were going to show her some _true_ pleasures of the flesh." He scowled at Elsa. "Not like those _disgusting_ trysts you've taken her on." Karl shook his head despondently. "But where's the fun in that if she's too far gone to even recognise that it's me giving her the satisfaction, hm?"

With that, Elsa lost the tenuous grip on her powers and completely succumbed to her wrath.

Her higher brain functions devolved into intense bloodlust for the prince. Pulling against the chains with an inhuman amount of strength, she felt her skin hum with a barely-restrained energy just below the surface. With a hard tug, she wrenched a chain from its peg, one of the links flying open. She lunged at the prince, determined to get her hands on him.

Karl panicked for the first time since setting foot in Arendelle. Just like his brother, he had sorely misjudged Elsa's power. But where Hans had only been caught out by the girl's magic, Karl had also underestimated the sheer human strength she would display in trying to get to her sister.

Taking a step backwards, his eyebrows shot to his hairline as he watched the girl in front of him attempting to break the other chain, mesmerised by the faint blue glow in her eyes.

The temperature suddenly dropped. He inhaled sharply. "Holy sh-"

A powerful blast threw him several feet, sliding across the hard stone floor before he could scramble to stand upright again. Stumbling out of sight, he yelled at the brute in Anna's cell. "Enough! _Enough_! Stop! She's fucking_ lost_ it!"

Elsa let loose with another blast. She felt power exuding from every pore. The bars groaned under the force of her attack, until finally they were ripped from their anchors, smashing into the wall she'd previously inundated with shards. Still held back by one chain, she roared at Karl.

"Come back and face me, you coward!" Yanking harder now, "Run from me and I'll hunt you down like a _dog_."

_CLINK_

A link in the second chain gave way, and Elsa was free. Striding towards the corner where her sister was being held, she heard footsteps over the screeching of metal on the stone. Whipping around and letting loose with a withering assault of snow and ice, she expected to see a frozen Karl before her, but instead, found empty space. Turning back, she continued the search for Anna's cell.

"Where are you, Karl?!" She yelled. "When I find you, I'm going to crush your throat with my bare hands!"

Suddenly, Anna's cell was right there, and she faltered.

Nothing could have prepared her for the sight of her sister's broken, bleeding form.

Anna was naked from the waist up, hanging from the ceiling by her wrists, the delicate skin raw from chafing against the rope that bound her. Her dress lay crumpled in the corner, ripped and bloody, and she was unmoving, chin resting on her chest.

Elsa felt all the fight leave her as she raked her eyes over her sister's fair skin. It had been shredded by the whip, and angry burns marred any expanse untouched by the brutal flaying she had been given.

"Anna…" she whispered. Gathering her wits enough to notice the open door to the girl's cell, she moved towards it, intent on getting her sister down and away from Karl. But before she could take a step, a weight threw itself against her, and something sharp plunged into her side. Crying out, Elsa fell to her knees, feeling the familiar, dreadful sensation of her muscles growing heavy.

"No, no! Anna!" She tried reaching for her sister, but her arms were slow and weren't cooperating.

The prince spoke, trying to catch his breath. "What a show, my dear! For a moment there, I was skating on _very_ thin ice." He chuckled at his own joke as Elsa struggled weakly. "Now, since you're unwilling to stay put like a good girl, I'm going to have to keep you sedated until you decide to give up this futile display of resistance and agree to join me."

Dragging the older girl's paralysed form into the cell beside her sister's, he snapped at his companion, who had no doubt been hiding during Elsa's short but terrifying rampage. "Stick one of these in her leg every three hours," he said, tossing a small quiver at the man. "I'm not taking my chances with that…_creature_ again."

He turned to stalk off, but Elsa's faint pleading stopped him, the drug coursing through her bloodstream and trying to haul her into unconsciousness. Elsa fought it off as best she could. "Wait," she exhaled. "I'll join you. Just…_please_ let her go. I'll do _anything_."

Karl sneered at the older girl for a long moment.

Then he shook his head. "I don't believe you." Waving a hand in the air as he turned his back on her, he continued. "Besides, I intend to repay you for how _difficult_ you've made this whole thing." With that, he took his leave.

Crushed by the prince's dismissal, Elsa desperately tried to keep her eyes open when heard a feeble moan from her sister's cell. Flooded with the relief that the girl was still alive, she called out. "Anna! Anna, can you hear me?!"

"Mama?" Came the soft reply.

Elsa's breath hitched. "No, Anna. It's me. It's Elsa." She tried to choke back tears. "I'm going to get you out of there, okay?"

The younger girl began to sob. "It hurts. It hurts _so much_."

Elsa didn't know if the girl was referring the physical pain of her wounds or the emotional pain of losing her best friend.

"I know it does, Anna. You're so brave. Please just-" she bit her cheek to keep herself awake. "-just stay with me. Listen to my voice and stay with me."

But there was no response from the girl.

"Anna?" A tentative question.

Silence.

"_Anna_!" The _Curare_ dragging her into darkness. "Don't go!" Everything was spinning. "_Please_ don't go!"

And then, nothing.


	17. We Only Have Each Other

**A/N**: Holy shit. How about those last couple of chapters, huh? Thanks to everyone for your responses - I read them all. To those that stuck with the story, you have my undying gratitude. I'll mend your broken hearts, starting with this chapter.

(Also, the anon simply called _No_: your review made me laugh harder than I have in days. I hope your country allows you to marry fics in the near future, but in the meantime, I hope you can work out a suitable, de facto relationship with _Frozen Fractals_.)

* * *

Elsa was dying.

Or was she already dead?

She looked down. Flames licked at her bare feet but she couldn't feel them. Her hands were burning with the same fire, yet seemed to be unharmed. She tried to conjure frost to douse it, but waving her hand only strengthened its intensity. Frowning, she glanced at her surroundings, trying to determine where she was.

The walls were pulsing, an orange glow permeating the space, but Elsa couldn't find its source. It stretched only a few feet before it was swallowed by the darkness in front of her. Squinting, she tried to make out the distorted shapes hiding in the shadows.

Taking a step forward, she suddenly felt a hand grab her arm. Whipping around, she locked eyes with Karl, and instinctually stumbled backwards in fear.

The man had been impaled by hundreds of icy, jagged spikes. They glinted in the dim light, thick, black blood running in rivulets down their surface, dripping to the floor beneath him. He grinned, revealing bloody teeth, before jerking his hand towards one of the walls with an inhuman kind of motion.

Wary of taking her eyes off the demonic figure in front of her, Elsa turned her head only slightly to follow his finger, and found her sister hanging from the pulsating wall, body encased in ice, her head slumped to one side.

Spinning to face her sister, she opened her mouth to call Anna's name, but she found she couldn't make a single sound. Her eyes widened in alarm. Shooting a hand out towards the girl, she tried to remove the ice, but succeeded only in setting Anna ablaze.

Horrified, she stared at her hands, not comprehending why they were betraying her so cruelly. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Karl gesturing towards his own frame, as if trying to show her why she'd been stripped of her ice powers. He placed a bloody hand over her heart, still grinning maniacally, moving the other to cover his own.

Elsa shook her head frantically. Backing away, she turned to sprint towards Anna, but felt her stomach drop when her foot met air, and she overbalanced, suddenly falling into an inky black chasm.

Mouth opened in a silent scream, she heard a sickening crack as she hit a solid surface.

No.

She was already on a solid surface.

Her eyes shot open. Heart beating a wildly, she tried to move, succeeding in nothing more than rolling her head to the side to see the unfocussed eyes of the guard Karl had left outside her cell. His neck had been broken.

The sound of a key turning in a lock, and then a hand was on her face.

"Queen Elsa? Are you alright?"

Kai. Kai was here.

"Kai?" she croaked, looking into his kind face. "What-… how-"

"Later, my queen," he whispered. "We have to get you out of here."

Elsa felt like her mind was trudging through thick snow. "We?" she muttered, as Kai pulled her up, draping her arm around his shoulders. She cried out as the puncture wound in her side stretched painfully.

"Can you walk?" He asked, ignoring her question. Elsa tried putting her weight on one leg, then the other. When she didn't collapse, she nodded. "Good," he said, leading her out of the cell.

Elsa attempted to steer him in the direction of her sister's cell. "Anna…" she slurred. Kai pulled her in the other direction.

"Halvor is taking care of her," Kai said, trying to alleviate her fears. Elsa craned her neck, trying to catch a glimpse of Anna. She saw the commander – unhurt save for a large bruise on his jaw – stepping out of the cell, cradling her sister's limp body in his arms, wrapped in his coat. His eyes were full of tears as he gazed at the broken girl.

Relieved that Anna was in safe hands for the moment, Elsa concentrated on keeping up with Kai's large strides as he led her to the heavy door that served as the dungeon's entrance. It was already ajar, and two men lay awkwardly on the stone floor, blood seeping from the stab wounds in their backs. She slid her eyes to Halvor's scabbard before flicking them up to meet his gaze. He kept his mouth in a stern line, but she got the message. He was obviously as intent on rescuing Anna as the Elsa herself was.

Kai peered through the gap carefully before slipping through into the stone corridor, pulling Elsa along with him. They rushed down its length before Kai put a hand up to stop them, creeping close to the door at its end and pressing his ear against it.

Whatever he was listening for, he seemed to find. Pushing the door open, he ushered them out into the hall by the dining room before leading them into the kitchens. Elsa realised he was taking them through the servant's entrance, which – whilst no doubt still guarded – would attract far less attention than if they burst out the front doors.

But Halvor had taken care of the guards posted outside the entrance too, and the path leading away from the castle was clear save for their crumpled bodies. It took Elsa several moments to notice the sky was dark. Karl had ambushed them on the docks mid-morning. How long had they been imprisoned?

The small group silently headed for the tree line, ducking between the trunks until they reached a clearing, where two horses awaited them. Elsa was still too delirious to be concerned about where they were going, so she let Kai hoist her up onto one of the powerful animals, watching as Halvor climbed onto the other, still holding Anna to his chest like she were made of glass. Kai mounted the horse behind her, pinning his arms against her waist to keep her steady as he grabbed the reins. With a flick of his wrist the horse surged away from the castle, galloping towards the mountains.

Elsa watched as the forest sped past, becoming a green blur as her eyes lost focus. The physical and emotional torment of her time in the dungeons caught up with her quickly, and for the third time in less than a day, Elsa blacked out.

* * *

Hushed voices filtered into her mind. She was warm. And her mind felt clear. Rolling onto her back, she was pleased to find her limbs responded when she tried moved them.

Opening her eyes slowly, she looked down at her body. Her stately dress – no doubt unwearable due to the blood, grime and torn fabric – had been replaced by a simple blue tunic. A pair of breeches covered her legs, and she spotted white bandages peeking out from the gap between the two items of clothing. She realised that her shoulder was also heavily wrapped.

And then everything came crashing back. The docks. Kristoff's death. The crossbow bolts. Karl laughing. The knife at Anna's neck. The dungeons. Anna screaming. Karl running. Anna crying. Anna.

_Anna_.

She shot up, pain searing into her shoulder and side, searching the small room for her sister.

"Anna?!" she yelled.

The hushed voices stopped, and Elsa heard heavy boots on wood approaching her position. Throwing her good hand in front of her, she let frost linger in her palm, prepared to blast whoever appeared in the doorway.

"My queen. You're awake." It was Halvor. The relief in his voice was palpable, and Elsa found herself affected by it more than she would have cared to admit.

Helpless to control her emotions at the sight of a friendly face, she began to cry. Halvor rushed to her side. "Elsa," he said gently, using her first name for the first time in years, "What's wrong? Are you hurt?" He was stunned when she threw her arm around his neck in a desperate embrace. After a moment, he realised she was just looking for comfort. Safety. And so he pulled her to his chest, and let her weep.

Eventually she pulled back, wiping her eyes with a trembling hand. "Anna," she said, worriedly. "Where is she?"

Something flicked across Halvor's eyes, and her heart stopped.

God, _no_.

The sheer terror must have been apparent on her face. Halvor's eyes widened and he shook his head frantically. "Oh no, no, Elsa, you misunderstand. She's alive! But she's injured, badly, and-"

"Take me to her." Elsa cut him off. "_Please_," she begged.

Halvor looked unsure, but helped her up all the same. He guided her through the doorway and into the large room beyond.

Elsa blinked. Before her were two men, seated at a small table. She recognised Kai, but the other man was someone she'd never seen before. He was at least as big as Halvor, with ruddy cheeks and impressive sideburns that swept up into a mustache.

"Hoo hoo," the stranger said, waggling his fingers. Then, in a thick accent, "Did you sleep well?"

Elsa just stared.

"Not much of a talker, yah? That's okay. I like the quiet. That's why I live up here!" He smiled brightly.

Kai spoke next. "Queen Elsa, meet Oaken, of Wandering Oaken's Trading Post."

"And sauna!" The burly man added. He got up from the table, almost knocking it over with his giant frame, and bowed. "Pleased to meet you, Queen Elsa!"

Shaking herself from her stupor, Elsa replied. "Uh, likewise, Mister Oaken."

Halvor interrupted their introduction. "Kai, Elsa would like to see her sister."

Oaken stepped to the side. "Of course, of course. Family is most important. My family used to live here with me, but I had to send them somewhere safer…" he trailed off and his face darkened. Elsa's interest was piqued, but she was more focussed on seeing Anna than anything else right now.

"She's through here, my queen," Kai said gently, gesturing to a small dark room. Elsa approached the doorway, suddenly terrified of what she might find. Her last image of her sister was one of extreme brutality, and she wasn't sure she could handle that again.

"It's alright, Queen Elsa. Oaken's wife, she cleaned her up before leaving with the children," Kai whispered, gently pushing her into the room, closing the door behind her.

Elsa pressed a hand to her mouth, trying to hold back tears. Anna looked so…she didn't have a word for it. The younger girl lay on her stomach in the small bed in the corner of the room, covered in bandages, chest gently rising and falling as she rested. Her hair was still in two braids, and Elsa felt a pang of longing for her sister when she remembered how Anna had smiled mischievously when she caught the older girl watching her plait them the morning Arendelle been attacked.

Spurred on by her heart yearning for the girl, she moved to the bed, crouching beside it, gently pushing her sister's hair back from her cold and clammy face. Anna was pale, the freckles dusting her nose incredibly pronounced, and her lips were missing their usual pink tinge.

Elsa stroked the younger girl's cheek with her thumb, whispering softly to her sister. "Hi Anna," she began, wanting to voice thousands of things but unable to express any of them. She swallowed thickly. "I hope you're dreaming about something nice." Closing her eyes briefly at her inability to say anything meaningful, she exhaled heavily and tried again. "I'm so sorry for letting this happen to you. I should have stopped it."

Ignoring the dull ache in her shoulder, she moved her free hand to grasp one of Anna's lying limp near the younger girl's head, squeezing it. Pressing her face into Anna's neck, she closed her eyes. "I really need you to wake up so I can tell you how sorry I am for getting you mixed up in this." She gave a watery chuckle. "Somehow you always get caught up in these disasters I create. I'm beginning to think it's your way of making sure we spend time together."

Pulling back and opening her eyes, Elsa searched her sister's face for any sign she was listening. But Anna's eyes remained closed. The older girl clenched her jaw, her throat burning with sorrow. "Anna, please. Open your eyes," she begged.

The girl still didn't respond, and Elsa felt her chest tighten painfully. She moved her hand from the girl's cheek to her shoulder and shook it lightly. "C'mon Anna, I need you to wake up." She shook a little harder. "Please, I just want to hear your voice again."

"…Elsa?" A soft squeeze against her palm and Elsa was suddenly sobbing, leaning her forehead against Anna's, watching her eyes flutter open. The older girl was sure she'd never seen anything so beautiful in her life. She kissed Anna slowly and deeply, hand on her cheek, trying to draw her as close as possible.

"I love you," she breathed out, breaking the kiss. It was the first time she'd said the words since the evening in the ice palace, and she felt a torrent of emotion pouring from her soul, trying to escape her body to embrace the girl lying before her. "I love you so much, Anna. Please don't _ever_ scare me like that again."

Anna blinked slowly, dazed from the kiss and the laudanum in her system. "Are you okay?" she slurred. "You're crying."

Elsa laughed through her tears. Only her sister could be beaten into unconsciousness, to wake up and ask after someone other than herself. "I'm okay," she said, smiling fondly at the girl. "I'm okay now that you're here." It was a corny response, but she didn't care. Anna was alive, and awake, and Elsa wanted nothing more than to crawl into the bed beside her, hold her and promise to never let her go again.

So she did just that.

Pushing herself onto the mattress, she slid into the spot between Anna and the wall, careful not to jostle her. The younger girl moved her head to the other side to watch her sister get situated, before Elsa gently moved an arm around Anna's shoulders and pulled her closer.

"This isn't hurting you?" she asked, softly. Anna shook her head slowly.

"'S'good. Warm." Elsa felt her sister's chest reverberate under her palm as she spoke. "Safe."

The older girl exhaled. "Yeah, Anna. You're safe." She nuzzled her cheek. "I promise I'm going to keep you safe from now on."

"I know you will," Anna murmured, seconds away from sleep. "You're my big sister, Elsa. 'S'what you were born to do." Her eyes slipped closed. "I love you."

Elsa couldn't stop grateful tears pouring from her eyes as her sister drifted off.


	18. You'll Be Safe From Me

Healing was a slow and gruelling process for the two girls.

Elsa's injuries were superficial at most, the puncture wound in her side missing any vital organs, and the ones in her shoulder merely a discomfort that had her wandering around the tiny hut with her arm in a sling. But Anna's shredded skin and burnt flesh rendered her immobile, sleeping her only escape from the dull ache that permeated every inch of her body as she was weaned off the laudanum.

Despite its severity, the physical damage was absolutely nothing compared to the psychological.

Elsa barely left her sister's side as she rested, unwilling to let the girl out of her sight for more than five seconds at a time. And she refused to let any one of the three men near Anna after a particularly harrowing incident in which Halvor had tried to check the younger girl's back for any infection, and Anna had woken up screaming in terror at the feeling of his rough hands holding her down. From that point on, Elsa was the one to tend to her sister, changing bandages when Anna let her, placating her with soft words when the pain threatened to overwhelm the girl.

Anna also had violent nightmares. She'd slept soundly the first few days, mind and body too exhausted to do anything but heal. But now that she'd recovered slightly, the younger girl began to scream and beg in her sleep, sometimes for Kristoff's life, other times for Elsa to save her. It left the older girl unable to do much but hold her tightly and whisper anything she could think of in her sister's ear, just so the girl would hear her voice. Eventually Anna would escape the dream, terrified teal eyes boring into Elsa's, almost as if they were pleading for her to erase the anguish. All Elsa could do was kiss her sister's tears away and promise protect her from any more harm.

Elsa found she hardly slept, which she reasoned was probably a good thing. She didn't think she could handle her own nightmares.

When Anna had frowned at the bags under her eyes, Elsa had shrugged off her concerns, but the younger girl was as stubborn as Elsa herself, and in a moment of strength that belied her current state, she'd forced the issue.

"You need to rest, Elsa. Those puncture wounds won't heal if you don't." She gave a little half grin. "Besides, it must be boring just watching me sleep all day."

The older girl shook her head, a lump in her throat. "I could watch you every second of the rest of my life and never get bored." Anna blushed.

Elsa struggled to find the right way to explain what else was keeping her awake, but somehow her sister already knew. "It's okay to be scared," she said, softly.

"You're not, though," Elsa blurted. "You're not scared. You're just- you're so brave. And I wish I could be that brave too. For you."

Anna put a hand on her cheek. "You already are, Elsa." The older girl furrowed her brow as her sister continued. "Karl…" the younger girl took a deep breath at vocalising his name. "You had so many opportunities to end him…" Squeezing her eyes shut briefly, she began to recall the horror of the dungeon. "I saw a lot of things that weren't real in that cell," she swallowed, "but I know that what I saw of you, in the seconds before I blacked out... _god_, Elsa. Your eyes. I've never seen them like that." Anna's gaze moved rapidly over her sister's face. "You felt something, didn't you? Something different."

Elsa nodded, words suddenly gushing from her mouth. "Like a blizzard pressing against my skin from underneath, trying to get out. And when I let it go…I felt so _powerful_. Like his life was meaningless. Like I _could_ kill. And the drugs he gave me, they made me hallucinate. I saw him in my head, Anna. Body full of spikes. That I'd put there. And he found it humorous when I caused your death because I couldn't control the way my powers burned through me. He told me I was evil. Like him."

Anna pressed a hand to Elsa's chest, searching her eyes. "You'd never hurt me, Elsa. I trust you not to, even if you don't trust yourself." She looked suddenly determined. "And you're not evil." The older girl pressed her lips into a thin line, having no faith in her voice at that moment. Anna pushed her hand harder against her sister's chest. "I _know_ you. And even if you'd had the chance, you wouldn't have killed him," she whispered. "And _that's_ what makes you brave. Because you have this unimaginable power, and could use it for anything. But you _choose_ to do the right thing. Always. No matter how hard it is."

Elsa looked at the younger girl in disbelief, holding back tears. "I just- I don't understand how you're able to say that. After what he did to Kristoff. After what he did to _you_. What I _let_ him do to you. He's taken Arendelle hostage and there are so many people down there, hurting because of me. How are you so sure I won't just…" she trailed off as Anna shook her head.

"Because you're better than that. Because you're strong, and smart, and will find another way to save this kingdom. Because I've known you since you were a little girl, and when I fell in love with the woman that little girl grew up to be, it was because her heart never changed, it just got bigger." Then Anna kissed her with such fervour, that Elsa was convinced. "_That's_ how I'm sure."

The older girl smiled fondly at her sister. "I know not to argue with you when you get like this, so consider me a believer."

Anna just grinned, and kissed her again.

* * *

Elsa woke from the first solid rest she'd had in weeks. Anna had been quiet throughout the night, and appeared to have fallen quite quickly back into her usual habit of sleeping in.

The older girl felt her stomach rumble. She was almost startled, unused to having an appetite after the trauma of everything that had happened since Karl's arrival. Trying to ignore it, she closed her eyes again, enjoying the feel of her sister's warmth in her arms.

The rumble came again. Exhaling softly, Elsa carefully extricated herself from around the younger girl, leaving her to enjoy her quiet dreams, and slipped out the door into the main room.

She found Halvor, Oaken and Kai poring over a map, which – when he spotted her – Oaken quickly swept from the table, shoving it into the waistband of his overalls. Halvor looked at him incredulously, and Kai just looked disgusted.

The burly trader just smiled innocently. "Hoo hoo," he greeted. "Good sleep, yah?"

Elsa just quirked an eyebrow. "You can take the map out of your pants, Mister Oaken," she drawled. If it were possible for the man's already rosy cheeks to get redder, they would have. Embarrassed, he pulled the crinkled map from under his waistband and tried to smooth it flat on the surface of the table. Halvor and Kai recoiled noticeably.

"So why all the subterfuge, gentlemen?" Elsa asked. When they didn't respond immediately, she crossed the room to look down at the map.

"Arendelle." She said, recognising the shape of the coast. Eyeing the three men suspiciously, she continued. "What are you planning here? A coup? Are you going to try and take Arendelle back from Karl?"

None of the men replied.

"You are, aren't you?" She sat in one of the empty chairs surrounding the table. "Well, in that case, I'm joining this little party."

Halvor looked at Kai worriedly before turning to face the girl. "My queen-" Elsa put up a hand to stop him.

"Commander, you can probably just start calling me Elsa." She said, self-deprecatingly. "I don't really have a kingdom anymore."

Halvor just looked at her, resolute. "And I don't have a navy," he quipped. "You are still Arendelle's queen in my eyes, Elsa," he said, firmly.

Elsa smiled tightly, and drew his attention back to the map on the table by gesturing to it with a palm. "Tell me what you plan to do."

Halvor finally dragged his eyes from Elsa back to the map, moving a finger to run it along a small alleyway. "There's a tunnel that runs under this lane. It starts outside town, and ends," he tapped his finger over a blank space, "in this square just outside the castle. The square is guarded fairly heavily, but if we create enough of a distraction, we can sneak into-"

"A distraction?" Elsa cut him off. "What _kind_ of a distraction?"

Halvor clenched his jaw. Kai butted in nervously. "Well, some citizens of Arendelle have – rather generously I might add – uh, _volunteered_ to give up-"

"They're willing to lay down their lives for Arendelle," Halvor interrupted. "As am I," he declared. "Most of us would rather die than live under this tyrannical rule. Karl is still blocking all trade save for shipments of criminally expensive goods from the Southern Isles – which he can take for himself with absolutely no payment, of course – and his followers roam the streets, brutalising citizens for fun." He slammed a fist lightly on the table. "And we've all had enough. So we're fighting back."

Elsa was stunned. "_Absolutely _not. I _refuse_ to let Karl take any more lives."

Halvor grunted. "If we do nothing, people will die anyway! They're starving in the streets!"

Aware her sister was sleeping on the other side of the wall, Elsa tried to keep her voice down. "I watched one of the bravest men I ever knew lose his life to protect my sister and me. I _will not_ let that happen that again." Halvor and Kai both looked away at the mention of Kristoff.

Elsa narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "That man deserves a proper burial. What happened to his body?"

Halvor cleared his throat, but it was Kai who finally answered. "Karl put it on display as a warning to anyone thinking about rebelling."

Elsa let her head drop into her hands. Karl was absolutely ruthless. There was no end to his depravity. His evil nature hung like a cloud, blacking out hope and morality for miles. There was no way to remove his malevolence without removing the man himself.

And then she saw it. The only answer left. The only way to end this without more bloodshed.

Jabbing a finger at Halvor, she ground out, "You get Kristoff's body down from whatever disgusting display Karl put together, and you bury that man in the mountains that he loved so much." Looking at all three of them now, she continued. "And no coups. No one else dies. Do you understand me?"

Suddenly, Oaken piped up. "But if these people wish to sacrifice themselves for a cause they believe in, that is their choice, yah?"

The girl fixed him with an angry look. "No. Because of Karl, they don't _have_ a choice." She stood abruptly. "But I do."

With that, she strode back to Anna's room, closing the door behind her.

* * *

Elsa lay beside her sister, head propped up on her elbow, watching the younger girl doze. She hadn't meant to get so worked up at the men – they'd saved her life, and the life of her sister, after all – but the idea of more people dying by Karl's sword was enough to make her furious. She was unwilling to let it happen. But that left her with only one other choice.

"Hey there, pretty girl," came the sleepy voice of her sister. Elsa had been too wrapped up in her own thoughts to notice the other girl had stirred from her slumber.

She grinned down at Anna. "That's my line," she joked.

Anna stretched gently, making an adorable little noise. "And I stole it. So whatcha going to do about it, huh?" she teased.

"This," Elsa said, leaning down to kiss the girl. Anna hummed contentedly. Pulling back, she smiled. "Okay. Seems fair." She wrapped her arms around her older sister's neck, squinting slightly. "Something's bothering you again." _God_ she was perceptive. "Are you still worried that you're a bad person? Because I have a great remedy for that," she quipped, wiggling her eyebrows.

Elsa smacked the girl gently on her rear. "Behave. You're still healing, and I'm not going to be responsible for that taking any longer than it already has."

Anna pouted. "Fine. But then you have to tell me what's wrong."

The humour left the older girl's expression, and she looked away, bringing a hand to Anna's waist and rubbing it up and down her side gently. She felt the girl playing with the curls at the nape of her neck. "Elsa, what's the matter?" she asked, tenderly. "Can I help?" The girl was so selfless.

Elsa exhaled, steeling herself. Flicking her eyes back to her sister's, she finally spoke. "Halvor, Oaken and Kai are attempting to stage a coup. But people are going to die if they go through with it." Anna's hand stilled, but Elsa pressed on. "I can't let any more people die, Anna. Not _for_ me, not _because_ of me, and not by my own hand."

The younger girl furrowed her brow. "So what are you going to do?" she questioned.

"I have to make Karl leave," Elsa said, firmly. "Make him take his men, get out of Arendelle and never come back."

Anna's eyes were glassy with unshed tears. "How will you do that?" she said, thickly, like she already knew what Elsa's answer would be.

I have to give him what he wants," the older girl murmured. "I have to let him take me back to the Southern Isles. It's the only way him and his family will leave Arendelle alone. For good." She spoke firmly now. "But I will not kill for him, Anna. I promise you. I'll find another way to do this."

Suddenly Anna was kissing her desperately, one hand tangled in her hair, the other around her neck, pulling her down. Elsa felt the girl's hot tears against her cheeks as she slipped her arm underneath Anna, careful not to aggravate her still-healing wounds.

Elsa was almost out of breath when Anna pulled back, and she caught a few of her sister's tears with her thumb as the girl looked up at her. "Why do you have to be so fucking noble, Elsa?" she whispered.

The older girl was a little taken aback. "It's- is it a bad thing? I need to save this kingdom, Anna. I thought that was the right-" she stopped when Anna started chuckling. Elsa was dumbfounded. "Why are you laughing? Did I say something stupid? Are you angry? You seem angry, or, _did_, anyway, but now you're laughing-"

Anna pressed their lips together again, softer this time. Breaking the kiss, she gave Elsa a watery smile. "I'm not angry. I'm just…so in love with you it makes me crazy." The younger girl tucked a lock of blonde hair behind her sister's ear. "You're exchanging your life for those of your people, and that's so benevolent that I almost can't believe you're the same person who – a few days ago – needed me to tell her that she wasn't evil inside."

Anna's face fell, as if the implications of Elsa's decision were really sinking in. Her voice began to tremble. "And, although I respect it, _so much_," she punctuated her words with a fist against Elsa's back, "it doesn't mean that I have to like it." She grabbed a fistful of Elsa's tunic. "Because I almost lost you less than two weeks ago. And I've only just got you back…"

Then she pushed her face into Elsa's shoulder, shaking with silent cries, tears quickly soaking the thin fabric. Elsa's heart pulled painfully at her chest as she embraced Anna, kissing the top of her head, holding back tears of her own.

Despite the girl breaking down in her arms, for the first time in her life, Elsa felt strong. Like she was meant to be a leader. For years, she'd been scared of what lay inside her, reluctant to explore feelings and thoughts for fear they might explode in a bolt of frost not unlike the one she'd hit Anna with in the accident that marked the beginning of her solitary childhood. She'd thought herself a monster, only able to dispense hurt and sorrow.

But here, in this instant, due to the sole influence of a fiery redhead, she truly believed that she was capable of doing _good_. Anna's faith in her had never once wavered. From the very first time she'd knocked on Elsa's door at age five, through to this exact moment, her younger sister had always seen Elsa as the best thing in her life, loving her unconditionally. And after eighteen years, finally, _finally_ Elsa was letting that love guide her. Not scare her, or control her, but show her the right thing to do.

So she held Anna as the younger girl cried, not apologising, because she knew the girl wouldn't want her to. Instead, she quietly said, "Remember when I promised I'd always come back for you?" She felt her sister nod against her shoulder. "I'm not going to break that promise. When I've fixed all of this, when it's all over…I'm coming back." A final determined whisper. "No one will ever stop me from coming home to you, Anna."


	19. Kingdom Of Isolation

**A/N**: Second to last chapter, my friends!

* * *

Elsa's heart was pounding as she walked towards the front gate of the castle, hands in the air. The universal signal for surrender. She wasn't afraid, but she was definitely anxious. This needed to go smoothly or the next step of her plan to rid Arendelle of Karl would be all but useless.

She had risen with the sun this morning – some habits hard to break – to find Anna already awake, staring at her with those soulful teal eyes. They'd exchanged no words, pouring everything they wanted to say into one long kiss, before Elsa had slipped out of the bed, keen to sneak away before the three men in the other room had stirred.

Knowing the depth of Anna's love for her spurred Elsa to move one foot in front of the other, until she stood before two guards, their muskets pointed directly at her heart. The looked slightly apprehensive.

"I wish to surrender to Prince Karl," she said, steadily.

The guard on the left smirked, trying to hide his fear, jabbing the bayonet at the end of his rifle in her direction. "That's _King_ Karl, to you, scum. Turn around."

She did, and felt a set of manacles snapping around her wrists. The fact that the guards had been carrying these meant Karl had been expecting her eventually. Elsa wasn't sure if that was to her advantage or not, but she was determined not to let Karl have the upper hand on her mentally, so she didn't ponder it further.

The guards shoved her through the entrance hall and into the throne room, where Karl was slumped on the imposing chair on the dais, wearing her father's crown and holding a book from the library. A young blonde man stood by his side, holding a platter, a single goblet of wine atop it.

"Ah, Elsa. How nice of you to visit!" He stood, dropping the book onto the chair and taking a step forward to the edge of the dais, holding his arms out, palms facing the ceiling. "This place is brilliant!" he professed. "I mean, it's a little dusty, and nowhere _near_ as luxurious as my kingdom's, but at least I don't have to share this one." He fixed her with a humourless stare. "You know, it's polite to bow before a ruling monarch," he sneered.

She felt one of the guards kick the back of her right knee, and she fell heavily onto it, clenching her jaw as she bowed her head.

"Much better," Karl drawled. "Now, what can I do for you?"

Through gritted teeth, she spoke. "You know why I'm here Karl."

The man chuckled. "I do, I do…but I want to hear _you_ say it, Elsa."

Inhaling deeply, she looked into his eyes with hatred. "I submit to you, Karl. Remove your men from this kingdom, and I will allow you to take me as your prisoner back to your country."

"_Allow_," Karl chuckled. His grin was positively wicked. "There. That wasn't so difficult now, was it? Heaven only knows why you put up such a fight the last few weeks."

He looked to the young man on the dais. "Lief! Gather the men!" He barked. "It's been a treat, but I think it's time we left this miserable place."

Turning back to Elsa, he cocked his head. "I hope you like rats, my dear. You're about to be spending a lot of time with them." She wasn't entirely convinced he was talking about rodents, and not his own crew.

She didn't have much time to consider the meaning behind the words, as she felt the butt of a rifle slamming into the back of her head. Then the world went black.

* * *

Kristoff's funeral took place two days after Elsa's surrender.

Devastated at the girl's sacrifice, Halvor, Oaken and Kai had experienced a range of emotions, from Halvor throwing a chair through the window of the trading post – causing a scrap between the two burly men that had almost destroyed Anna's growing but still fragile trust in them – to Kai wandering the woods for hours at a time, returning with red eyes and a hoarse voice, the mountains the only audience for his frustrated cries.

But the trio had been determined to honour Elsa's final wish for her fallen friend, and so, with the people of Arendelle free to roam the kingdom once more, they returned to the town, taking Kristoff's body down from the mock crucifixion Karl had staged. With Sven carrying him to his final resting place, even Olaf was solemn as they buried him in the forest by Oaken's, to be forever watched over by the North Mountain.

Struck by the fact that Elsa was once again not present for a funeral, Anna found herself chuckling unexplainably as Kai read a short eulogy. Soon, the group was laughing together, listening to Anna tell anecdotes about the man that had them in stitches. The girl was pleased to note that the mood had also lifted the reindeer's spirits, as she petted his nose absentmindedly, regaling them with a story about Marshmallow chasing her, Kristoff and Olaf off a cliff. Sven refused to leave her side after their small gathering, and so she rode him back down to the castle, leaving him to be tended to in the royal stables, but not before promising she would be his best friend from now on.

Now, sitting in her own chambers – not yet able to handle the sight or smell of Elsa's – she held a small snowglobe in her hands, tilting it to make the tiny white snowflakes fall over the two skating figures.

She was so tired. As second in line to the throne, Elsa's unofficial abdication had left her temporarily – Anna refused to see it as more than that – in charge of Arendelle. But her nightmares were stronger without Elsa to hold her at night, and the ever-present ache in her heart weighed her down every second of every day. She'd found her once bubbly, affectionate personality replaced with a solemn façade, and she was still incredibly reluctant to let anyone close to her, physically and emotionally.

The people of Arendelle still loved her despite it, and it seemed Elsa's sacrifice had made them all the more aware of the need to band together to repair the kingdom. Ships were rebuilt, bigger and grander than before. Farmers shared crops with starving families, and in return, the satiated citizens volunteered their labour freely. The town square had become a bustling centre of fair trade, and the one time Anna had braved the crowds to explore it, she was so overwhelmed with the affection she was shown, that she took her leave mere minutes after she'd arrived. She'd never believed she could fill Elsa's shoes, but it appeared that Arendelle had absolute faith she could.

A tentative knock at her door, and Kai's voice floated through. "Princess Anna," he began softly, aware the girl was still struggling with her fear of decidedly male figures. "I know this is a very difficult time for you, but there's been some talk." He paused for a long moment. "Now that Arendelle is free to recover…" Anna heard him exhale. "We need a monarch, princess. Arendelle needs a ruler if it's going to be strong again. And since we're all unsure if-" he stopped quickly, "_when_ Elsa will return…"

Anna wiped her eyes of unshed tears. She wanted nothing more than to curl up in the corner of the room until her sister returned, but she knew Kai was right. And more importantly, Elsa would want her kingdom to prosper. _When_ she came back, Anna wanted her to be proud. To see that the younger girl had been as brave as Elsa believed.

So she took a deep breath, set the snowglobe by the bed, and opened the door.

"Does Arendelle trust me to lead them?" She asked.

"Implicitly," was Kai's earnest reply.

She straightened her shoulders like she'd seen her sister do countless times before. "Then I shall."

* * *

Elsa sat in the darkness of the bowels of Karl's ship, chained to the inside of the hull. Seemingly placated by the fact that she hadn't cut him down in the throne room, this time he'd used aluminium shackles that covered only her wrists. She was still unable to shatter them, but at least her hands were somewhat free.

The air was dank and musty, the acrid smell of gunpowder from the barrels surrounding her only barely masking the smell of rotting rat carcasses. Karl's men would slaughter the pests when they appeared on the deck, throwing them into the dark hold for their own amusement.

The swell of the North Sea, along with the fierce hunger in her stomach, was making her dizzy. She had no idea how long they'd been sailing. Days? Weeks? Everything was blurring into one long stretch of discomfort and dreams of her sister.

A shaft of light broke through the ceiling, and she heard footfalls on the stairs leading from the deck. Then Karl was before her. He threw a wineskin at her feet.

He smiled. "I'm so pleased sea travel agrees with you, my dear. I'd hate to have to ask my men to clean up after you." He crouched down to meet her eyes, gesturing to the wine skin. "Drink up. I'll need you in fighting shape when we dock tomorrow."

When she didn't reach for the flask, he sighed. "I don't know how many times I have to tell you, Elsa. I haven't drugged _this_ water either." She still didn't move. He stood up, grunting. "Fine. If you won't drink, then it'll be all the more difficult for you to resist when I force you to slay Corona's armies." And with that, he spun on his heels, leaving the hold.

Elsa kicked the wineskin away. For someone so ruthlessly intelligent, he'd overlooked something so basic. She conjured a small sphere of ice and popped it in her mouth, letting the cool water trickle down her throat as it melted on her tongue. Smirking to herself, she closed her eyes and leant her head against the wooden wall behind her.

"He's a bit of an idiot, isn't he?" came a voice from in front of her.

Elsa's eyes shot open. She scrambled back, yelping. Kristoff sat less than three feet away from her, looking altogether relaxed, one knee bent, an arm slung over it nonchalantly.

"_Kristoff_?" she breathed. "What- How the hell…oh my god. Am I hallucinating?"

The man shrugged. "Probably," he chuckled. Elsa was still staring, dumbfounded. "So," he said, looking around, "nice place you've got here." He grimaced at a particularly disgusting rat corpse. "Probably could do with less of those decorations, though." Turning back to Elsa, he fixed her with a questioning look. "What are you still doing down here?"

Elsa furrowed her brow. "What do you mean, what am I still doing down here? I haven't really got anywhere else to go."

Kristoff smiled softly. "Yes you do. You can go home."

Frustrated at the ridiculousness of finding herself talking to a figment of her imagination, she snapped at the man. "I _can't_ go home. I can't give Karl a reason to wreck another path of destruction in his desperation to get to me. He's finally left Arendelle. He's finally left _Anna_! So no, I haven't got anywhere else to go!"

The man in front of her just kept smiling, infuriating her further.

She clenched her fists. "The whole reason I surrendered was so that he'd take me back to the Southern Isles, and I'd have an audience with the king! I was going to use my presence as an incentive to stay away from my kingdom."

Kristoff looked unimpressed. "And what were you going to do then? Just…hang around the Southern Isles, trying to be the most useless addition to their army you possibly could?"

Elsa flushed. Her plan sounded a little stupid when Kristoff said it like that. "Yes, actually. I was going to stay and keep an eye on all of them. It was the only way to be sure they'd never try to go back to Arendelle."

Kristoff leaned closer, as if he were about to tell her a secret. "You know that's not true," he said, grinning. "You know it's not the only way." Then he winked. "You've seen how these men look at you when they come down for supplies. They're _terrified_ of you. They watched you obliterate three ships without breaking a sweat. Karl is the only one who ever comes down here just to talk, and you _know_ why." Kristoff tapped his temple. "Deep in here, you know why. It's because he's the only one arrogant enough to think his power is greater than yours."

"It is," she huffed. "Because he knows how to wield it."

"Ah, I get it now," the man smirked, sitting back. "There's still a small part of you that's afraid you'll become some kind of 'evil snow queen'," he teased, waving his hands in the air, "if you try to use your powers to make a statement." He gently pointed a finger at her. "I know you remember what Anna said to you. About being inherently good." He took one of her shackled hands. "It doesn't always mean complete suppression of your strengths, though. It just means using them in the right way."

Elsa was beginning to understand. "Instilling fear in those who deserve it, to protect those who don't," she started, "you're saying that's the right way?"

Kristoff grinned again. "You're smarter than you look." He clapped his hands together. "So! I think it's time you got your rear out there and showed Karl who's boss." Pushing her uninjured shoulder gently, "Go back to that girl who loves you so much, you doofus. She _needs_ you."

A bang, and her eyes shot open. She'd dozed off, the exhaustion finally overwhelming her. Kristoff was nowhere to be seen, but a lone crew member was eyeing her warily as he stood over a large bucket he'd knocked onto the wooden floor.

A slow grin crossed Elsa's face, and before the man could think about running, she'd encased his legs in ice with a flick of her wrist. He had hardly taken a breath to call for help when she'd sealed his lips shut with perfectly-aimed frost.

She felt her skin humming again. It felt _right_. Like after twenty-one years, she was finally wielding her power with a _precision_ worthy of its glory. She stared at the man, unblinking, the glow in her eyes lighting up the dim space. Nothing could touch her.

Not even the aluminium stood a chance against the force of the bitter cold currently encasing her hands. With a solid yank, they exploded, and she stood, moving towards the hatch that led to the deck, the partially frozen man watching her with terrified eyes all the while.

Emerging into fresh air for the first time in days, she stared out at the sea. The two brigs she hadn't annihilated were sailing gently alongside Karl's ship, and she let herself enjoy the few seconds of peace before the deck erupted in a cacophony of alarmed yelling and crew scrambling to get away from her. Karl was at the helm, facing the stern, and turned to investigate the commotion, taking an involuntary step back when he saw the girl, her eyes an intense shade of blue, frost swirling in her palms.

He gave her a stunned look. She replied with a rakish grin.

The prince shook a finger at her, staring incredulously at his crew. "What the hell are you doing, you useless cowards?! Subdue her!"

No one moved.

"Fine. I'll do it myself," he barked, hefting his crossbow to his shoulder. Before it got halfway, a blast of icy wind had snatched it from his hands, and the crossbow flew overboard.

He tried to hide his fear behind taunts. "Oh, so _now_ you've finally decided you're _not_ too good to murder someone in cold blood?" He drew his sword. "You were so afraid of hurting people that you wouldn't even touch a hair on my head," he yelled, "and now suddenly you're fine with bringing my father's wrath down upon you and your pathetic kingdom?" Jabbing the sword in her direction, he took another step backwards.

"Then you lose, monster! You kill me and you lose! Your _precious_ Anna will _never_ look at you the same again. Your people will be slaughtered, and the blood of thousands will be on your hands!" He threw his head back and laughed maniacally. "And I although I will be lying on the bottom of the sea, I will always be remembered as the man that bested you!"

Another blast of ice, and his sword joined the crossbow in the rough waters. And suddenly Elsa was in front of him, grabbing fistfuls of his uniform and staring dangerously into his eyes.

"No one else dies, Karl," she whispered. "Not because of this sick obsession of yours." She shook him firmly. "Your men are terrified of me, and you should have been smart enough to feel that same fear." Snarling now. "My inability to take a life could have been my downfall, but your arrogance will most certainly be yours."

Still glaring at him, she yelled loud enough for the crew watching the scene unfold to hear. "You're going to send your two brigs back to the Southern Isles. They will tell your father that you perished along with your vessel when I chose to obliterate it rather than remain your prisoner a second longer." She turned her head slightly to eye the quartermaster. "And if they lie, and the king sends his armada?" She smirked, "Then let them come. I will be waiting. And I will make them flee in fear."

This made Karl grin. "_Make_ them? They'd rather sail to their deaths than run from a battle. They're too proud for that."

Elsa matched his grin with one of her own. "I can be _very_ persuasive."

Suddenly, enormous icebergs rocketed from the unforgiving depths of the frigid sea, surrounding the three ships, massive waves in their wake, crashing into the hulls. Thunder rolled overhead as the sky went dark, and hailstones began to pour from the clouds, assaulting the water all around them, mysteriously evading the ships themselves. Battering winds circled the small fleet, throwing up walls of water, almost as if a colossal typhoon had descended upon them.

Karl's eyes widened as jagged spikes of ice rose from the railings surrounding his ship, and the deck was covered in a thick layer of frost. "How- how are you _doing_ this?" he stammered. His self-assuredness was finally withering under Elsa's demonstration of the sheer control she had over her power. For all he had imagined of the beauty and magnificence of it, he had never expected the girl to be able to use it like she was using it now.

Elsa narrowed her eyes, taunting him. "I only have you to thank for it, Karl. Without that push you gave me," she shrugged, "who knows how long it would have taken to discover what I could really do?" She threw him to the deck, and he scrambled to his feet. "Get your crew off this ship. _Now_."

The terrified men didn't even wait for Karl's orders. They jumped into the swirling water, desperate enough to brave dangerous hail to get away from the god-like being standing at the helm. The brigs had already slowed at Elsa's formidable display, and so the recently departed men swam for the ships, seeking refuge.

Pinning Karl to the railing with a perfectly-aimed blast of ice, she turned to direct icy winds into the sails of his ship. "This is my ship now," she declared, "and we're sailing for Arendelle."


	20. A Beautiful Stranger

**A/N**: Damn...here we are, you guys. The end of _Frozen Fractals_. What a rollercoaster.

Thank you so much to everyone who read this story, and special thanks to those of you who took the time to write to me expressing your undying love or burning hatred for some of the directions it went in. You've made me feel like a special part of the Frozen fandom, and I wouldn't be able to leave it even if I wanted to. I'll be writing Elsanna until I have one foot in the grave.

As always, I hope you enjoy the chapter.

Ride that wincest express!

* * *

Anna sat at the giant desk in the study of the royal chambers, poring over a trade agreement. The Duke of Weselton had heard of Prince Karl's siege on Arendelle, and despite adamantly maintaining at the time that Elsa had tried to kill him, the story of her selfless actions – a story that seemed to currently be making its way around every kingdom in the vicinity – had made him change his tune. He had extended very generous terms in his proposal for trade between Arendelle and Weselton, and as acting monarch, Anna was now responsible for approving it on behalf of her kingdom.

But _god_ it was boring. She had no idea how Elsa had done it. The pile of papers were at least an inch thick, and she'd only made it through a quarter at most. Losing focus once again, she stared out of the large window overlooking the port, watching fishing ships sail along the glittering water, herring spilling onto their decks from overflowing nets.

Her stomach rumbled. She'd been making a habit of skipping meals, reluctant to spend any more time in the dining room than she had to. It reminded her too much of her sister. Anna hadn't entered the library in weeks, and the door to Elsa's chambers remained resolutely closed.

Her stomach rumbled again. Rolling her eyes, Anna stood up from the desk, deciding she was too distracted to make it through the agreement anyway, and moved to the door, intent on heading down to the kitchens to get something to eat.

Something in her peripheral vision stopped her.

A Southern Isles flag, flying from a large mast.

Heart leaping into her throat, she dashed to the window, hoping against all hope that Karl hadn't returned to demolish Arendelle _again_. She peered down at the deck of the huge ship underneath the flag, and almost cried with relief.

It was covered in ice, and there, at the helm, blasting icy wind into the sails, stood Elsa.

Her sprint down to the docks was a blur. All Anna remembered was crashing into Kai in the hallway, stammering her sister's name over and over as she ran around him, racing for the entrance hall. It felt like seconds, but also an eternity before she made it to the farthest pier, Elsa only just disembarking from the vessel, looking a little worse for wear.

Elsa met her gaze, and Anna found she couldn't move. The older girl's eyes moved rapidly over her face, trying to read her emotions. Slowly approaching her sister, Elsa swirled her fingers, creating a delicate bunch of crocuses from crystal clear ice. She held them out nervously as she stood in front of Anna, a small grin on her face.

"I thought it polite to bring a gift for Arendelle's leader, but I didn't get a chance to pick a real bouquet on my travels," she joked, softly, "so I hope these are satisfactory."

Anna's voice was caught in her throat. Tears blurred her eyes, as the hundreds of things she wanted to say and do now that her sister was in front of her churned in her mind, making it near impossible to decide on just one. She felt an all-encompassing desire to _touch_ the older girl. Make sure she was real.

So she did.

_Crack_

Elsa recoiled at the slap Anna had just given her, unhurt but utterly bewildered. Staring wide-eyed at the girl, she was even more stunned when her younger sister pulled her in to a fiery kiss, arms around her neck and body pressed tightly against her own.

Anna pulled back, placing her hands on Elsa's cheeks, staring so deeply into her eyes that Elsa felt her soul might be crushed under the gaze.

"Hi," Elsa said, softly. Then, smiling. "I feel like I've only been here five seconds and I've already done something to make you mad."

Anna laughed through a sob, having the good grace to look a little sheepish. "I'm sorry," she chuckled. "You were just, gone for so long, and I was so scared that you might be…" she trailed off, unwilling to finish the thought. Running a thumb over Elsa's lips, her face fell. "I was almost starting to forget the way you smelled, and the way your eyes crinkle when you smile, so seeing you here, in front of me…" she blushed, "I guess I just lost it a little."

Elsa grinned down at her. "A little, huh?"

Anna just smiled, burying her face in the older girl's neck, inhaling deeply, feeling a powerful swell of love rising inside her. She was helpless to stop the tears of happiness as Elsa instinctively rubbed the spot between her shoulderblades that helped to calm her down – the gesture a reminder that the older girl knew her better than Anna knew herself.

She whispered in Anna's ear. "I made you a promise, remember? There was no way I wasn't coming back to you."

And then Elsa was kissing her again, and every doubt Anna had felt over her sister's return vanished. Breaking the kiss, Elsa gave her a suggestive grin, winking. "I think you should take me back to the castle. I want to see what havoc you've wrought with the place."

* * *

Elsa woke, frowning. The room was dark, and something wasn't quite right. Realising her arms were empty, and Anna's side of the bed was cold, she sat up, sheets pooling around her naked waist. "_Anna?_" she whispered.

There was no response.

She peered into the blackness. Her sister was no longer here. Racking her brain for where the younger girl could have gone, she slid out of the bed to throw a dress over her head, intent on finding her. She didn't want to spend another second away from the girl if she could help it.

Upon Elsa's return, the girls had ended up in her chambers in a tangle of limbs, stealing kisses between discarding clothes, speaking in a language of soft moans and sweet cries only they could understand. Illuminated by the faint silver moonlight, lips danced over scars and hands splayed over pale skin as two souls found home in each other.

When Anna was sated, she'd curled into the older girl, seeking the warmth and safety that she'd been sorely craving during her sister's absence. Elsa had gladly given it, feeling as if her heart might burst with the sheer amount of love she had for Anna as they drifted into the first peaceful sleep either of them had seen in weeks.

Now, having checked Anna's chambers, the library and the kitchens, Elsa stood in the middle of the entrance hall by the stairs, unsure of where to look next. She gazed aimlessly at the door to the throne room, reminded of the unpleasant sinking sensation in her stomach she'd felt as she'd prepared to surrender to Karl-

Oh no.

She knew where Anna was.

Spinning on her heel, Elsa raced towards the corridor that led to the dungeons.

As Anna had dragged her sister through the entrance hall earlier, she'd run into Kai a second time. He embraced the older girl after a long moment of staring at her, astounded, and Elsa had joked about leaving a gift for him and Halvor on the deck of her new ship down at the docks. Before her younger sister had tugged her away, she'd asked Kai to give the gift a suitable spot, her eyes firmly telling him that she wanted her prisoner left alive.

Anna had frowned slightly at the exchange, and once again Elsa was reminded that her sister was perceptive beyond her years. No doubt she'd immediately understood who the 'gift' was, and where he was going to be held. Now, in the dead of night, she'd slipped off to get answers from the one man that could give them. Karl himself.

She heard Anna's shrill voice as she raced down the corridor, and as she pushed open the door to the dungeon, she caught the end of Karl's reply.

"-because it was simply just amusing for me, my dear." He was smirking at Anna, chained to the wall inside the first cell, but still managing to look like he was in control of the situation. The younger girl was inside, standing over him, shaking with rage, a small letter opener glinting in her hand. "Besides, it's not like his life was of any value-"

"You heartless son of a bitch!" Anna lunged towards him, cutting off his callous words, blade poised to hit him in the throat.

"Anna! No!" Elsa shouted, panicked. She swept towards the cell, grabbing her sister around the waist bare seconds before she stabbed the man.

The sudden disruption forced the gravity of the situation to come crashing down upon Anna. She stared, horrified, at the knife in her hand, before throwing it to the side, like it would separate her from the harsh reality of what she had almost done. It skittered across the stone floor.

Karl just laughed, but Elsa noted – with a hint of satisfaction – that the man was cowering from her slightly. "Oh, you're spoiling all my fun, Elsa! Your dear sister here only wanted an answer as to why I killed that boy who followed her around like a lost pup." He grinned wickedly. "I just wanted to see how far she would go to get it. Could you imagine, all that time you spent trying to keep her safe, trying not to hurt her, and in the end, she would destroy her own innocence, along with your ridiculous morals, in one fell swoop!" He closed his eyes, lost in his fantasy. "It would have been utterly extraordinary to watch."

Elsa growled at him, pushing Anna out of the cell and into the corridor leading back to the castle. Her heart broke at the look of hopelessness on her sister's face.

"Oh _god_," she breathed, dropping her head into her hands. "I tried to- I almost-" She choked back a sob. "I'm so sorry, Elsa. I only brought it with me for protection. But then he was leering at me and saying awful things about Kristoff… I just wanted to know why!" she said, begging the older girl to understand. "It was such a senseless death…" she murmured, voice breaking. Elsa pulled her into an embrace, trying to calm her down with soft words.

"Shhh, Anna. It's okay," she whispered, holding the girl against her tightly. "I don't hate you. I could never feel anything but love for you." Speaking more firmly, "And Karl can get under anyone's skin with just a few well-chosen words." She inhaled deeply, trying to find the right thing to say. "But Kristoff's death wasn't senseless, Anna. He saved your life. He's a hero, and I don't have words for how grateful I am to him." Pausing, she pulled back to look her sister in the eyes. "But he would have been devastated to learn you killed someone out of anger." Wiping the younger girl's tears away, she continued. "Kristoff told me about Karl in the first place to save you from having to feel any guilt, because he wanted to protect the goodness inside of you. Because he knew the world needs more people like you."

Anna gave her a pained look, struck by Elsa's words. "Karl doesn't deserve to live when Kristoff can't," she said, angrily.

"Maybe not," Elsa replied. "But I'm not going to let you taint that beautiful spirit of yours by taking his life. He's not worth that."

Mercifully, Anna nodded her understanding, but Elsa knew that for as long as Karl was still breathing, her sister would be weighed down by his existence.

Elsa closed her eyes briefly. "Anna," she said, "Do you trust me to take care of this?" The younger girl squinted slightly, searching her sister's face for something. When she found what she was looking for, she spoke.

"Yes. I do," she affirmed.

Elsa kissed her quickly. "Then will you go back to our chambers and wait for me?" The use of the possessive pronoun didn't go unnoticed by either girl, and Anna stared at her for a long moment before nodding again, turning to make her way down the corridor.

Satisfied, Elsa re-entered the dungeon. Karl had dropped his cocky demeanour, and eyed her carefully as she picked the blade up from where Anna had thrown it to the floor.

Advancing on him, she spoke. "You think you can hide it from me, Karl, but I already know. You _want_ to die, don't you?" She asked. Karl didn't respond. "I can see it in your face…the way you were pushing Anna." Her eyes darkened. "You know you've lost, and you're desperate to escape that feeling."

He spat at her feet. "I haven't lost," he barked. "My father will send his armies to retrieve me, and I will watch as he burns your city to the ground."

Elsa chuckled. "That line is getting so old, Karl." She twirled the blade in her fingers. "And you and I are both smart enough to know that your father isn't sending anyone. Because he's just as selfish and spineless as you are." She crouched in front of him, mirroring the stance he had taken so many times before when talking to her. "He would rather desert his son than risk his true pride and joy; the armada of the Southern Isles." She stood again glaring down at him. "He's going to leave you here to rot, Karl. _No one_ is coming for you now."

She threw the blade at his feet, watching as he picked it up apprehensively. "I'm going to show you one act of mercy," she growled, "even though man as worthless as you doesn't deserve it." She exited the cell, locking the gate behind her. "You can accept your retribution and die here a withering and decrepit old man, the years of captivity and isolation slowly driving you mad," she peered through the bars at him, "or you can take the coward's way out, and save yourself the suffering."

Karl glared at her with a mixture of blind hatred and crippling terror in his eyes. Elsa simply turned her back on him, striding to the dungeon's exit. Pausing at the door, she glanced at him one last time, eyes glinting, and repeated a line she'd heard from the man once before. "I should hope you're smart enough to recognise a way out when you see one, Karl."

With that, she swept out of the room and into the corridor, stopping only briefly in the dim passageway when she heard the unmistakable thud of Karl's body slumping against the stone floor of his cell.


	21. Epilogue

"I've decided I'm going to call it the _Anna_," Elsa said, walking with her sister alongside the newest addition to Arendelle's navy, a huge frigate that Halvor had commissioned from Corona. Easily a hundred feet long, it's newly varnished wood sparkled under the sun as it rocked gently on the water. The sails were a deep purple, and at the prow of the vessel was an intricately carved figurehead; a mermaid that looked suspiciously like Anna.

The younger girl turned to her sister, making a face. "You can't call it that," she chastised. "It's not fearsome enough."

Elsa shot her an amused look. "My dear sister," she began, "have you ever seen yourself when you're angry? You're _terrifying_."

Anna opened her mouth in disbelief. "I am _not_!" she cried, stepping in front of Elsa and jabbing a finger into her chest. "You take that back!"

Elsa just smiled, gesturing to her sister. "See? Terrifying." Anna just crossed her arms and frowned. "That's less terrifying and more adorable," the older girl said, leaning in quickly to steal a quick kiss from her sister. "Have you thought about my offer?" she asked, changing the subject.

Anna nodded hesitantly. "I have," she began, "but I'm still not sure if it's the best idea…" she trailed off.

Elsa nudged her shoulder, "It's _my_ idea, so of course it's the best." When Anna didn't crack a smile, she moved closer to the girl, taking her hands. "Hey," she said, softly. "What you did for Arendelle whilst I was gone…" Anna looked down at the reminder of Elsa's absence, "You singlehandedly took a kingdom that was on its knees, and you helped it stand again."

Ducking her head to catch her sister's eye again, Elsa continued. "I know you'll make a great queen, Anna. These people," she said, gesturing to the busy town square, "They adore you. And they don't fear you like they do me." She rolled her eyes, "I mean, they hide it well, and they seem to respect me a lot more these days, but let's face it, I'm still an all-powerful, exquisitely gorgeous ice goddess. It's enough to make anyone nervous."

That got a small chuckle from the younger girl, and Elsa found herself encouraged by it. "Under your rule, I know Arendelle will be the greatest kingdom it could ever be."

Anna looked at her sister, a little less unsure of herself. "Well, you know," a cheeky smirk crept its way on to her face, "If Arendelle is going to be the greatest kingdom it can be, it's also going to need the greatest navy we can possibly find."

Elsa looked puzzled. "Yes…" she said, dragging the word out suspiciously. "And Halvor is the best commander you'll find for miles."

The younger girl was grinning now. "But since I'll be taking over your duties as queen, and you'll be left with plenty of free time..."

Elsa's eyes widened when she realised what her sister was implying. "Oh no. No no no, Anna, absolutely _not_!" She balked at the idea. "I can't command an entire _navy_!"

Anna shook her head. "You won't. Halvor will remain commander, but I want Arendelle to be a protector of the lands and people who can't protect themselves." Her grin faltered and she looked stern. "I want all those brutish kingdoms – with nothing better to do than try and conquer defenceless countries – to think _twice_ about invading when they see our flag."

She put her arms around Elsa's neck, smiling up at the older girl again. "And who better to be the war maiden standing at the side of the queen, than an all-powerful, exquisitely gorgeous ice goddess?"

Marginally placated by the idea of using her powers to defend rather than attack, Elsa winked at her sister. "Flattery will get you everywhere, Anna," she quipped. A beat. "So does this mean you're accepting my proposal?"

Anna pretended to ponder the question, looking at the sky. "Yes," she said, meeting her sister's gaze once again. "I suppose it does." Then, with a mischievous glint in her eyes, "And that's _Queen_ Anna, to you."

Elsa just smiled, and kissed her.


End file.
